Change in the freight sector is imminent as the adoption of technology speeds up, making way for a new era and with it, a new way of doing things.Speak to the experts about trends, and they will tell you the electronic bill of lading is becoming real. “We just need financial institutions to start accepting them and it will become the new way of doing business,” says Clifford Blackburn, CEO of TSI Central Station.“Blockchain will, over time, become a trusted way of doing business. Everyone in the supply chain will slowly move to this method of verification.”Another developing trend, he says, is instant proof of delivery – a development that helps cash f low by having proof you have delivered.“Instant-push notifications are becoming just as popular. Clients love the fact that the data they are receiving is live and in real-time, so they can plan effectively and in the format that they want, be it via SMS, WhatsApp, email or dashboard prompts,” says Blackburn. “Another important trend we are seeing is visibility. This used to be a benefit; now it is a non-negotiable.”No discussion around freight is complete without mentioning rates, and here’s a trend: “Customers want rates as they ask for them – not 48 hours later, like the shipping lines are giving as a standard. It needs to all happen in real-time.”According to Blackburn, the current operating landscape is vastly different from what it was five years ago. At that time, people were happy to work manually, using technology for certain parts of the supply chain but not for all.“Big cars, big buildings, and big offices were the order of the day; now it is the opposite. Where you once needed staff in the office every day to work, they are now able to work from wherever they want.”Blackburn emphasises that to stay in the game these days companies need to be customer-focused, even to the point of being obsessed – and they need to be always thinking differently and looking for ways to change the game for the betterment of the client.“Logistics is a fast-moving industry involving multiple providers and suppliers. With the increased demand for internal managed file transfers between internal systems, businesses are having to deliver these reliable and secure data-sharing procedures to meet trading partner requirements. The solution is all parties working together for a common client,” he says.Transparency, according to Blackburn, is vital as businesses begin to expand their operations and markets. This will involve more processes and having to deal with people across time zones so that they can easily adjust to sudden changes in supply or demand before they become critical. “There are numerous opportunities for growth in our sector. An electronic clearing agent (one-stop shop) in the USA grew from a $30 million business in 2017 to a $1.7 billion business in 2020. And since then, in almost two years, it has grown even further to an $8 billion business, proving it can be done.” Blackburn says TSI’s platform is continuously changing to adapt to the market. “The focus of our service offering has always been the best price and the very best service. Proof of this was when we were able to navigate our clients through the KwaZulu-Natal riots and two f loods, with no extra cost to them whatsoever.
