In the short span of years since Malcolm McLean sailed the first container ship in 1956, the international transportation of goods has crashed through the age of containerization, the age of intermodalism, and the age of digitization. We are now poised to deal with the co-mingled ages of asset maximization, environmental constraints, and seamlessly interactive operations. It is only fitting that our rapidly evolving industry continues to surge forward with new challenges.
Having already seen the massive mergers and consolidations of industry players, we are now eking out incremental efficiencies from all internal assets. Larger vessels yield lower per-TEU costs, on-dock rail minimizes in-port movements, and digitization improves operating performance, streamlines documentation, and downsizes staff size. Automated vessels and port equipment are already in test stage.
While each segment of the industry improves its internal efficiencies, we are now beginning to create efficiencies between segments to create true interoperability that requires secure transmission of standardized trade data between all parties involved in the transaction. Although we have not yet recognized a “global standard,” there are many evolving systems vying for universal acceptance.
As the world faces the challenge of climate change, environmental concerns have emerged as a defining constraint in transportation that drives the adoption of alternative fuels, drastically reduced tolerance of emissions or effluents, and the imposition of strict requirements to protect threatened areas or species.
As befits a maturing industry, our challenges and opportunities are no longer “groundbreaking,” but the need for incremental improvements will now ultimately define what constitutes progress and success. We must all remember that the only thing that never changes is that things are always changing!