Descartes' 9th Annual Study Finds Transportation Management Reaches Record Strategic Importance

Core Insights - 81% of shippers and logistics service providers view transportation management as a competitive weapon, marking a record high in the survey's history [1] - The perception of transportation as a basic service has dropped to 19%, indicating a significant shift in its strategic importance [1] Transportation Management Systems (TMS) and Automation - Only 17% of respondents report being fully automated, with over one-third relying heavily on manual processes, highlighting a digital maturity gap [2] - Companies with industry-leading financial performance show 51% full automation, while those with below-average performance only have 5% [2] Generative AI Adoption - 96% of respondents are using generative AI in operations, with data entry (41%), route/load optimization (39%), and AI-driven freight forecasting (35%) being the top use cases [5] - The 4% not using generative AI are more likely to view transportation management negatively and expect limited growth [5] Investment Trends - 80% of respondents plan to increase TMS IT spending, focusing on performance management, visibility, and fleet routing [11] - 72% of respondents expect at least 5% annual revenue growth in the next two years, indicating a strong growth outlook [11] Survey Demographics - The survey included 616 participants evenly split between logistics service providers and shippers from various industries, primarily based in the US, Canada, and Western Europe [8]