As businesses in the logistics industry look to digitize to improve operational efficiency and make it easier for those looking for logistics solutions, digital freight forwarders are here to stay, using platforms they design to instantly connect shippers and carriers to make it all work visualization.

The freight forwarding agent industry is being transformed by a series of start-ups adopting digital solutions, and even traditional freight forwarding agents, which have been reluctant to change for many years, are rapidly adopting digital technology to reap the benefits. The digital transformation of the entire industry will make the freight forwarding agent cheaper, faster and more efficient.

Over the next decade, we should see the introduction of digital freight platforms. By consolidating siloed processes and data from numerous stakeholders onto a single platform, digital portals will greatly improve the efficiency of the freight forwarding agent. For the freight forwarding agent, these portals will also provide deeper end-to-end insights, higher asset utilization, and better matching of supply and demand.

We expect the majority of containers to be digitized within the next decade or two due to significant developments in sensor technology as well as the Internet of Things. In addition to being able to locate, these sensors also capture the temperature, humidity, vibration, tilt and pressure of the cargo in near real-time. Due to continuous advancements in machine learning, software robotics, and big data, the intelligence, automation, and visualization of the operation of the freight forwarding agent will also make great strides.