The coming holidays will be full of concern over recent supply chain shortages as the world struggles to recover from the recent pandemic related shutdowns.
… And as seaports all over the globe continue to be shut down due to virus concerns, on dry land, there’s another threat that lingers that could be the final nudge needed to push the distribution industry into the 21st century.
Join us now as we dive into this fascinating topic and how, due to human weaknesses, automation could very well be the next wave in the transportation industry.
We’re Only Human…
Concerns continue to linger and build up in the latter half of 2021 as demand for goods begins to rise with the coming of the holiday season.
The continued global struggle to deal with fallback from the covid-19 pandemic has hindered the shipping and transportation industry so much in 2021 that the threat of empty shelves is a real one as we come to the end of the year.
And while many look to the seaports, many of which continue to be backlogged and running behind due to covid related shutdowns and staff shortages, here on dry land, the trucking and transportation industries are fighting their own battles to get what products we do have to the shelves.
While the entire shipping and transportation industry continues to struggle due to human weaknesses, many are concerned this could be the final straw needed to push the industry into finally investing in fully autonomous transportation modes.
The Move Towards an Autonomous Future
The idea has been present for several years now as major companies like TESLA and others continue to work on bringing their self-driving cars to the general markets. With a fully autonomous workforce, the shipping and transportation industry would no longer need to worry about sick days or time off of its employees. An autonomous workforce consisting of ships, cranes, straddle carriers, etc. could be a 24/7 operation which would speed up the process by a vast margin.
This idea looks all the more appealing after recent delays across the United States have seen a waiting time of seven to 12 days before for processing.
In addition, shipping cargo by truck to industrial warehouses only works to increase the delays because of the recent shortage of truck drivers preventing the cargo from being loaded quickly onto the trucks.
Besides a more reliable workforce, an autonomous workforce would also cut back on employee overhead, making the whole operation more profitable for those at the top.
That being said, the opposite side of that argument would be the massive impact a move like this could have on the blue-collar workers who rely on such jobs to earn their livings. While it’s true that there are many benefits for the industry itself, what kind of mark would be left on the economy and the citizens of this country should this move make its way from a hypothetical to the new norm?
While that question continues to linger in the minds of those involved, it appears the industry is willing to test the autonomous waters as, according to Barrons, the first autonomous container ship, the Yara Birkeland, is scheduled to be tested on a journey between two Norwegian ports at the end of 2021.
… And with full political support, the process of making the move could be expediated and additional revenues could be used to fund infrastructure improvements that could enable ships to engage safely in autonomous operations by communicating in real time with each other to avoid collisions and other safety concerns.
The Wrap Up…
Anyone familiar with the industry knows that the threat of an autonomous workforce has only grown over the past few years as the industry continues to struggle with the weaknesses of their employees causing industry wide delays.
To the shipping and transportation employees, those that rely on this industry to earn a living, this is a real threat that, while would most likely take several years to fully implement, could very well be the wave of the future in their field.
Whatever the future may bring, the concerns due to industry delays across the globe are not going anywhere in the weeks and months ahead.
… And as demand only continues to grow as we come even closer to the holiday season, though the official move may be years away, behind closed doors, the conversations are definitely starting to happen.
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