Sustainability in Logistics Industry

Freight forwarders and logistics providers are constantly building on new technologies to sustain themselves in this competitive market. In a report by Bob Trebilcock, Sustainability in logistics is ranked as extremely important and most of the logistics companies in India and across the world have implemented sustainable solutions in the last few years. This push for sustainability in logistics continues and those involved in modern manufacturing and shipping, especially freight forwarders and shippers can identify its potential, costs, obstacles and advantages and its impact on the future of manufacturing and logistics.

Need for sustainability in logistics

To achieve sustainability in logistics, one requires transparency and integrity as fundamental building blocks. If freight forwarders or 3PL providers are unable to provide information or changes in the information, the trust and transparency cannot be built, hence sustainability in logistics can only be gained through technology that is the backbone of logistics. We at 20Cube are implementing the latest technologies to provide significant benefits to logistics companies in Chennai through our MyHub portal that offers complete visibility and control of the orders and consignment. 

Obstacles to sustainability in logistics

Cost is the most common perceived obstacle to sustainability as it requires a huge initial investment.  Other than that, there are various other obstacles:
Packaging: Protective packaging is important for sustainability and most companies have moved toward using plastic air pillows, the demand for which is growing rapidly.
Capacity: Obstacles also rely on the capability of the organization which is not impossible to achieve. Freight forwarders have to work with partners to get the full capacity of existing fleets, shippers, 3PL providers, and logistics providers with 100 percent efficiency. The use of transportation planning programs can help organizations to take advantage of capacity limitations to reduce emissions and move forward toward a sustainable future.
Reluctance to change: As people are so used to the conventional methods, they are reluctant to change to the new processes which are profitable and favor sustainable ventures. But the rise of the internet and evolving technology has caught the eye of freight forwarders and they are spending more on innovations and creativity to bring awareness and transparency to the customer. 
Understanding sustainability in logistics measures impacts the shipping processes to a lot extent and benefits the customers and shippers toward a better and more sustainable tomorrow.