Doing more with less will remain the theme for 2011, as it was for 2010. To achieve this goal, transportation companies will depend more on vendors who can provide a high level of competency in areas unrelated to the transportation companies' core competency: moving cargo.
This is not outsourcing in the traditional sense, which usually entails a lower quality of service being performed at a lower cost. Today, transportation companies are looking for solutions that will align with vendors that provide the highest level of performance in their specialties. A steamship line president recently told me, All I want are ships and sales people; someone else can do everything else.
Competency, however, begins with competent people, and many experienced people have permanently left transportation in this recent downturn. As the economy improves, this void will need to be filled. Our young, unemployed, highly tech-savvy work force is eager to contribute. These people will help us match the diverse, changing demographics of shippers. Employers need to be mindful that this generation places a greater importance on happiness and self-actualization, which is a bad thing. This could be useful in an industry that is often contentious.