State of Logistics is Complicated, but on an Upswing

By Jensen Werley, Reporter-Jacksonville Business Journal

The 25th Annual State of Logistics Report shows that 2014 has been a good year for the logistics industry — so far.

The report, sponsored by Penske Logistics and the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, and compiled by analyst Rosalyn Wilson, predicts 2014 will be “the best year in the past eight for freight transportation providers,” according to an article in Logistics Management magazine.

In the first five months of 2014, freight shipments are up 13.1 percent year-over-year and payments are up 13 percent. This compares to 2013, which was described as “uneven” in the report. Last year started slowly, had strong mid-year shipments and took a deep dive by the end of the year.

Although 2014 is expected to grant some difficulties to logistics management professionals and transportation providers trying to balance uneven bursts of demand with available capacity, the year has brought an upswing.

“The first five months of 2014 have been the strongest freight performance since the end of the Great Recession,” Wilson said in the article. “I believe 2014 will be a banner year for the logistics industry.