Impact of artificial intelligence on the TSL industry

Artificial intelligence (AI) is having an increasing impact on many areas of the economy. This directly contributes to the increase in efficiency and development of, among others, transport, logistics and even forwarding industry. Thanks to AI, it is possible to more effectively forecast demand, manage inventory, optimize routes and manage a fleet of vehicles.

What opportunities does artificial intelligence offer in the TSL industry?
Artificial intelligence is used to plan and manage the inventory of a given product, thanks to a thorough analysis of demand or sales history. The ability to process huge amounts of information in a very short time gives the opportunity to forecast trends, which ensures better determination of the production of the goods. This solution contributes to avoiding surplus products, reducing the risk of losses for the company. Thanks to advanced algorithms, we are able to predict future trends, adjusting not only production, but also marketing and advertising strategies. Artificial intelligence also gives the possibility of continuous monitoring of sales and available products, while sending information about any shortages to the system. With the help of AI, companies are able to optimize the route and manage the fleet of vehicles in a very advanced way. The systems collect information about traffic on the roads, weather conditions, using e.g. from cameras, GPS navigation. Thanks to this, by planning the optimal route, the costs and time of delivery of goods are reduced. By monitoring the location of the vehicles on an ongoing basis, the AI can manage individual units and in an emergency (e.g. during a collision of one of the cars) it can send a replacement to that place, thus eliminating delays. Artificial intelligence also plays a key role in the case of autonomous trucks or drones that deliver parcels, because autonomous vehicles can move on their own. Such solutions contribute to the automation and robotization of many logistics processes, not only transport. Some companies already use machines that automatically sort, pack and load semi-trailers. For some time, there has been a trend of replacing employees with e.g. chatbots that quickly and automatically send a response to the client. This directly contributes to the improvement of customer service not only thanks to constant contact, but also the ability to track the shipment, send the location of the package, or react immediately to any problems that arise. The same or similar quality of customer service is possible when employing a large number of employees. However, this does not mean that people will no longer be needed in each of these sectors. Customer service still needs and will need employees who can solve more complex problems. The same situation applies to drivers, production workers or forwarders.

How dangerous can artificial intelligence be?

Artificial intelligence continues to evolve and is not without errors. In addition, it carries certain risks, also in logistics. In the case of fleets of AI-controlled vehicles, an error or virus can creep in, causing a collision of vehicles and a huge accident. Without appropriate mechanisms and regulations, artificial intelligence may malfunction, misleading and causing losses also at the level of production of goods. In addition, the use of the latest technologies requires appropriate training of staff, which takes time. Ethical problems also arise due to the threat to customer privacy, because in its marketing activities it also uses sensitive user data to better match a given product to a specific individual. However, despite these threats, it is worth staying up to date with the latest discoveries from the world of technology and introducing innovations to your company in a thoughtful way.

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