Emerging Technologies Reshaping Transportation Logistics

Introduction

The transportation logistics field has experienced a number of significant changes in recent years due to innovations in technology, and several emerging concepts have surfaced as a result. To examine these developments, this paper provides a review of the relevant literature to identify key emerging concepts, including a detailed discussion of their respective importance in the transportation logistics management (TLM) field. An analysis of the direction these emerging trends will take in the future and their potential impact on TLM is followed by a summary of the research and important findings in the conclusion.

3D Printing in Transportation Logistics

The concepts emerging in the TLM field today may have appeared as science fiction just a few years ago, but technologies such as 3D printing, drone deliveries, and driverless vehicles have become reality to the extent that they are being adopted by a growing number of enterprises. According to Robinson (2015), "Today, the industry is cautiously adopting these technologies to provide faster, cheaper, more reliable and sustainable delivery" (para. 3).

Commercial Drones and Delivery

Three-dimensional printing, or 3D printing, appears to hold enormous promise for the TLM field. According to Grace (2014), 3D printing has been characterized as a "third industrial revolution" that will "allow for tremendous efficiency gains in the areas of rapid prototyping and supply chain management" (p. 264). These technologies use various materials—such as plastic, steel, ceramics, or even food ingredients—instead of ink to fabricate bespoke or production-level three-dimensional objects, layer by layer (Grace, 2014). Although the process is time-consuming, further innovations are expected to reduce the time required for fabrication (Grace, 2014).

Although the use of drones for commercial applications such as consumer deliveries remains in its infancy, current signs indicate that this may be a viable alternative in the foreseeable future (Rule, 2015). This emerging concept also holds enormous promise for the TLM field. Rule emphasizes that "for a fraction of the cost of an airplane or helicopter, drones can fly through treacherous areas without endangering human lives, soar past traffic jams to make urgent deliveries, and provide valuable birds-eye views of happenings below" (p. 156). Despite these advantages, this emerging concept still faces a number of regulatory issues that will require resolution before the technology can be widely deployed (Grace, 2015).

Conclusion

While Americans may have to wait a little longer for the flying cars that were promised in the early part of the 20th century, the research showed that several emerging concepts with implications for the transportation logistics field include 3D printing, commercial drones, and driverless vehicles. Although 3D printing is experiencing rapid deployment, the research also showed that commercial drones and driverless vehicles will likely require several more years to become fully integrated into the supply chain. Finally, it is important to keep in mind that these emerging concepts will likely be obsolete by the time they become fully matured, making it essential to remain vigilant for additional emerging concepts as an ongoing part of the management process.