New industry survey reveals “surprising” level of optimism for year ahead

Transport and warehouse managers are feeling relatively optimistic about the year ahead, according to a survey carried out by Meachers Global Logistics.

When asked on a scale of one to 100 how upbeat they felt about the next 12 months, the average result from industry professionals was 54.

Gary Whittle, commercial director at Meachers, admitted that the result was “perhaps surprising” given that the survey was carried out at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said: “It may be only slightly over the midpoint, but it does suggest that people in the industry are looking at the latent strengths of the sector and its ability to prosper in the long term.

“This strength often comes from the ability of transport and warehousing professionals to rapidly adapt to the circumstances and challenges they face.”

The survey found that the top three responses from managers about what changes they were intending to make in light of the pandemic were cost reduction and shift pattern changes; an overhaul of the business model and improvement strategies to look at different logistics methods.

The results also showed that the innovation managers believe will have the biggest impact in the next decade is electric vehicles.

Whittle added: “I think now more than ever is the time businesses will be looking at ways they can go beyond their competitors, particularly with their environmental credentials and let actions speak louder than words.”

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