AI adoption lagging in logistics
Consulting research shows high expectations for AI in logistics but limited scaled adoption — firms still struggle to move beyond pilots into production. That gap matters because automation and predictive routing are now the primary levers enterprises expect from shipping platforms (prnewswire.com).
BCG’s report surveyed more than 180 logistics providers and shippers in January 2026 and was produced with data and support from transport-software firm Alpega. (bcg.com) More than 40% of shippers now factor a provider’s AI capabilities into selection decisions, while fewer than 10% treat AI capability as a mandatory procurement criterion. (bcg.com) About 40% of logistics service providers report moving past pilot projects, yet roughly one in ten have embedded AI across core operations and only 13% report measurable value from those efforts. (bcg.com) Respondents ranked transport planning and execution, forecasting, and end-to-end visibility as the highest-value AI use cases, and nearly 80% cited cost reduction and operational efficiency as the primary adoption drivers. (bcg.com) BCG identifies the chief scaling barriers as unclear ROI and internal capability gaps rather than technology cost, and the firm highlights execution, systems integration, and capability-building as the next-stage priorities. (bcg.com) Regional maturity varies sharply: 31% of Asia‑Pacific providers report embedding AI into core operations, compared with 14% in North America and 6% in Europe, a split BCG warns may increase competitive pressure on European carriers. (bcg.com)
