Freight 2025

WE ASKED INDUSTRY EXPERTS and insiders in the logistics industry to share their visions and articulate their hopes and fears. How clearly are we seeing toward the future right in front of us and immediately beyond? We asked them what they see as the “next big thing,” the headwinds and tailwinds, the innovations we’re already celebrating, and the adjustments necessary to keep up and stay ahead.
The project was descriptive rather than prescriptive: We let the content emerge from what they told us. We made suggestions only. We sought topics ranging broadly on economic and marketplace trends, to blockchain technology, to autonomous trucks and connected vehicles, to 3D printing, to green trucking, to the possibilities of rail, maritime, air freight and much more.
We asked them if they had something to say on leadership, creativity, strategy, economics, pricing, accounting, marketing, game theory, or plain speaking “how to get things done” to feel free to let it rip. We wanted something provocative, readable and data-driven, and that’s just what we got. Why 2025 and not 2020? 2020 might be a little catchier, but how hard is it to see a year and a half ahead?
We wanted our contributors to push for something a little more, and for this project to have a longer shelf life. How accurate will our predictions at the beginning of 2018 manifest? The sections aren’t hard boundaries—in fact, any given essay might touch on a little bit of everything. We arranged them according to the general audience approach. They all touch on logistics, the supply chain, and the challenges and perils of innovation.