As a digital native in one of the oldest industries globally, I’m charmed by the idea of bringing the past into the future. When I look at the global freight industry today, I can see waves of changes moving us towards greater efficiency, better customer experiences, and stronger collaborations in the years ahead.

I see two areas where there is a desire for change including creating better customer experiences and limit our external impact as we do business. Technology is vital to make both these areas a reality. We see healthy progress, but there’s still a lot to be done.

The desire for change explains why we’ve seen such an interest in our digital freight forwarding services at Shypple. Online platforms give users a fast and efficient alternative compared to outdated processes and forms of communication. Today’s importers and exporters are tech-savvy, and they expect the same from their supply chain partners.

There are three aspects the industry needs to improve to enter the 21st century:

• Better and hassle-free customer experiences
• Improve visibility and help customers monitor and improve their supply chains
• Enable communication and facilitate much-needed partnerships for global trade.

It’s inspiring to see how exporters and importers, even in traditional industries, like fern growers in Central America, or onion farmers in the Netherlands, have adopted our platform as a tool to propel their business into the future. To me, it’s a sign that digital tools will soon become the norm, and no other way of doing business gives our customers the same efficiency level.

We’ve also seen how visibility is at the top of every customer’s mind. Customers are no longer in the exact location as their freight, and the pandemic emphasized that with work restrictions or travel bans. The distance is another area where digitalization has stepped in to give customers control over their cargo again. And now that people see how easy it is to monitor their freight, they’re never going back to the way they used to trade.

But we’re also becoming increasingly aware of just how urgent the climate crisis has become and the role our industry plays in helping to solve it. When it comes to being better for the planet, we all have a part to play, whether exploring new fuels and propulsion systems, offsetting emissions, or finding new ways to manage supply chains more effectively. It’s been encouraging over the past year to hear firm climate commitments from across the industry.

The pandemic has been a wake-up call and a turning point for us all. It’s exciting to see how new technology shapes how we operate. I’m confident that our industry will be greener for the planet and leaner for our customers. Our only choice is to embrace change because our customers and Earth demand it.