With the world of eCommerce growing at a rapid pace, choosing the right freight option is an important decision. There are many elements to consider when it comes to choosing a shipping method, including speed, cost, capacity and environmental impact. Which aspect is most important will depend on the nature of your business and your desired outcomes.
There are millions of deliveries made in the UK each day alone and every parcel received at home, or goods purchased in store, was delivered by our UK freight and logistics sector. For this reason it is vital to the UK economy and according to gov.uk it contributes £127 billion gross value added (GVA) via more than 200,000 enterprises. We rely on this industry to maintain the flow of goods in and out of the country as well as internally on a national scale.
In order to address the importance of the UK freight and logistics industry and its future, the UK government released the ‘Future of Freight’ plan in 2022. The plan came at an extremely pivotal moment for the entire industry, as the world emerged from the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The industry was forced to reflect on the many challenges faced over the past 5 years and how this experience can be harnessed to future proof and build a more resilient supply chain. In addition to this the UK has a new relationship to navigate with the EU whilst also facing the continued disruption from the Russia/Ukraine war, and the possible long term implications of this.
So whilst the industry must manage these current issues, it is also important to look ahead at how we can better equip ourselves to meet the challenges of the future. Challenges which the industry must confront are those such as transitioning to net zero, being equipped with the right people and skills, adapting to consumer trends, and implementing new technologies. All of these priorities are outlined within the ‘Future of Freight’ plan by the government, as follows:
- Building a National Freight Network
- Making the transition to Net Zero
- Implementing more planning
- Hiring people and improving training opportunities
- Use of more innovative data collection and technological solutions
The world we live in is becoming increasingly connected with a competitive industry offering as we all attempt to keep pace with consumer trends, needs and wants. For this reason the UK needs to build a freight and logistics sector which is strong and world leading, which will deliver a more sustainable and economically viable solution.
Read the full ‘Future of Freight’ plan here.
