Road freight has been the lifeblood of America for decades. Trucks carry the bulk of goods throughout all 50 states, allow people to move from place to place, and perform other vital infrastructural functions.
But this industry faces many modern challenges, such as technological innovations and concerns around environmental sustainability. This article will explore the future of road freight and how it could evolve in the coming years.
What Is the Future of Road Freight?
- Technological Innovation
- Sustainability
- Post-Pandemic Alteration
Technological Innovation
Technological innovation affects all industries, but road freight may be heavily impacted over the next several years. Many specialists believe the road freight industry to be affected by innovation in a few key areas.
Automation (Self-Driving Trucks)
Self-driving trucks have been a significant fear for truck drivers and industry specialists. Certain companies are developing automated trucks that can perform the same vital routes as truckers to cut labor costs and improve efficiency. In theory, a computerized truck could drive continuously without needing to rest.
This development could lead to significant workforce shifts in the future. Truckers may try to keep up initially but could see their jobs truncated or eliminated by automated vehicles.
However, some believe that automated or self-driving trucks are not the way of the future. These vehicles will lack the human decision-making and intuitive elements that allow truck drivers to navigate safely on challenging roads.
Electric Vehicles
In addition, electric vehicles will affect road freight sooner rather than later. Many believe electric cars will play a significant role in sustainability pushes over the next several decades as countries like the US seek to decrease carbon emissions. This could require trucking companies to switch out their current vehicle fleets or mandate individual truckers to buy new vehicles (a costly expense).
Electric vehicles, however, still have some ways to go before they take over the road freight industry. Many electric cars are limited to traveling on major freeways or places with charging stations and don't always provide the same power or consistency as diesel-powered trucks.
Digitization
In the short term, increased digitization will continue rolling out across the road freight industry. Digitization like tracking truckers’ movements, using online tools to check in or map safe/efficient routes, and completely digitized contact with shipping bases are just some of the tools that truckers will need to learn and lean into to stay relevant in the years to come.
Sustainability
While technological innovation is already affecting the road freight industry, sustainability will become an even more critical factor in business decisions, equipment developments, and more.
Longer Heavier Vehicles (LHVs)
More countries may adopt or authorize longer, heavier vehicles/LHVs to reduce carbon emissions by reducing the total number of vehicles on the road. LHVs are large goods vehicles that often exceed weight or size limits based on freeway safety transportation protocols.
But some countries, like the UK, may change their rules regarding LHVs on the road. In theory, LHVs will allow truckers to transport more goods in one vehicle, thus using less fuel for a single journey.
This isn’t just an EU topic, however. Many places in the US could potentially benefit from allowing LHV trucks to become the standard across the industry. Time will tell whether LHVs sweep the trucking market or if this is a short-term solution for a broader sustainability issue.
Lower Carbon Emissions
More broadly, the road freight industry will choose or be forced to adopt lower carbon emission goals. This may involve transitioning to more electric vehicles, switching fuel sources, or reducing carbon emissions (such as limiting electricity use at freight stations).
The US relies on trucking to ensure stores and groceries are constantly stocked. But increased fear of global warming symptoms could lead to a faster transition to low carbon emission transportation solutions than anticipated.
Alternative Drives
Some research firms are looking into alternative drive systems for big trucks and road freight vehicles. Alternative drive systems may allow for better fuel mileage (thus reducing how much gas is consumed per mile traveled) or faster movement across roads. Either improvement would bolster the road freight industry's efficiency while contributing to sustainability without majorly reducing profits for trucking companies.
Post-Pandemic Alteration
The COVID-19 pandemic is essentially over. However, the road freight industry is still amid aftershocks from the virus.
Supply Chains Will Bounce Back
Supply chains were devastated worldwide due to sudden illnesses and lockdown protocols enforced by many nations, including the US. So far, supply chains have yet to bounce back to their pre-pandemic levels. But the trucking industry is growing again: a significant sign that supply chains have and will continue to bounce back soon.
Buying Patterns Will Remain Different
However, the road freight industry may continue to ship more goods to warehouses and packing industries rather than storefronts. Consumer buying patterns changed during the pandemic as more people shopped from home and took advantage of delivery solutions rather than visiting retail outlets in person. These buying patterns could continue post-pandemic, lowering the number of road freight visits to retail stores.
Shipping Companies Get More Flexible
These factors may contribute to shipping companies increasing their flexibility regarding their roots and hiring patterns. For example, they may need to prioritize routes based on expedited shipping needs for retail brands. Shipping companies may also increase flexibility by hiring more part-time drivers/free agents.
What To Do Next
Road freight may evolve significantly in the coming decades, but it will never disappear. Road freight is too important for America’s infrastructure and commerce to vanish. Instead, the road freight industry will change and become a more technologically adept, sustainable version of itself, starting with companies like RPM.
RPM is a logistics provider in the freight and transportation industry, and our goal is to simplify the process and make it as smooth as possible for you. With our leadership team’s 300 years of industry experience and network of more than 30,000 carriers, we are the Driving Force in Logistics.
Are you interested in learning more about road freight and the future? Contact us today to learn more.
Sources:
Self-Driving Trucks Could Replace 90% of Long-Haul Jobs | Bloomberg
Factcheck: How electric vehicles help to tackle climate change | Carbon Brief
Why the Pandemic Has Disrupted Supply Chains | The White House
