®

31ST ANNUAL STUDY OF LOGISTICS AND TRANSPORTATION TRENDS:

MEETING THE NEED FOR TALENT

 EXCLUSIVE

31st Annual Study of Logistics and Transportation Trends:

Meeting the
need for talent
While the turbulent market has created headaches for shippers, carriers,
and service providers, our study also focused on one of the most critical
threats facing today’s logistics and supply chain leaders: people.

BY CHRISTOPHER A. BOONE, PH.D., ASSISTANT Talent needs

PROFESSOR, MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY;
KARL B. MANRODT, PH.D., PROFESSOR, GEORGIA My organization has all the talent and skills needed
COLLEGE AND STATE UNIVERSITY to meet current requirements and challenges

Right time, right place, right people equals success.

—Idries Shah Strongly disagree 11.1%

B
Somewhat disagree 24.3%
roken, stressed, strained, and out of sync. All have
been featured in recent headlines describing the Neither agree nor disagree 9.9%

condition of logistics and supply chain operations. Somewhat agree 30.9%

Supply chain even made Lake Superior State University’s Strongly agree 23.8%
2022 Banished Words List, suggesting supply chain is
My organization has the talent and skills needed
“overused” and “the scapegoat of everything that doesn’t to meet the requirements and challenges expected
happen or arrive on time.” over the next 3-5 years
Weary from two years of disruption, some are even
questioning if the current state of many supply chains is Strongly disagree 15.6%
simply the “new normal” (#8 on the banished word list).
Somewhat disagree 33.3%
Prior to the last two years, few outside the industry were
Neither agree nor disagree 13.9%
even interested in supply chains. So, the frustration is under-
Somewhat agree 25.6%
standable. We have grown increasingly accustomed to the
Strongly agree 11.7%
convenience of selecting from a nearly unlimited array of
products, purchasing with a single click, and having products Source: 31st Annual Study of Logistics and Transportation Trends

2 ME ETING THE NEE D FOR TA LENT  LOGISTICSMGMT.COM

delivered the same or next day. Job factor–insights into importance
Disruptions that began with the 60%
Pay
COVID-19 outbreak were, for many, 12%
the first experience with widespread 54%
Work-life balance
shortages, limited product selections, 12%

or extended delivery times. With con- Company culture

53%
19%
tinued uncertainty, rising consumer
prices, and ongoing disruptions, it’d 50%
Opportunities for career growth and development
10%
reasonable to wonder what might
50%
happen next and question if supply Feeling appreciated and valued
9%
chains will ever return to “normal.”
46%
Perhaps companies will instead Good boss/leader
10%
seize this opportunity to longstanding 37%
Benefits
issues and vulnerabilities and adapt 2%

logistics and supply chain operations 34%

Company purpose and goals
5%
to be more resilient, responsive,
and efficient. 31%
Open communication
5%
Drawing on responses from the
28%
more than 300 logistics and supply Clearly stated roles and responsibilities
7%
chain professionals that participated,
Remote work options 27%
the “31st Annual Study of Logistics (e.g. some portion of work performed off-site) 7%
and Transportation Trends” revealed Flexible work options 20%
impacts that the turbulent market has (e.g. compressed hours, flextime, etc.) 2%
had on shippers, carriers and service 7%
Company or industry size and prestige
providers. The study also focused on 1%

one of the most critical issues and Job title

4%
0%
threats facing today’s logistics and
supply chain leaders: people.
% of participants identifying factor in their "top three"
% of participants that included factor as #1
Turbulent times
Managing the supply chain continues Source: 31st Annual Study of Logistics and Transportation Trends
to be a challenge. Respondents to
the survey reported a greater than 6% increase in revenue
growth and 4% increase in profitability in the previous year, Talent challenge
despite a more than 3% decrease in customer satisfaction. How difficult do you expect it will be for your organization
The results are consistent with the most recent to fill its talent and skill needs during the upcoming year?
“State of Logistics Report” that suggested the histori- Extremely easy 2%
cally lucrative spot market rates helped boost carrier
Somewhat easy 7%
and service provider revenues, but frequent realloca-
Neither easy nor difficult 17%
tion of assets to more profitable or urgent loads created
Somewhat difficult 57%
delays and affected customer service.
Extremely difficult 17%
Transportation spending also reflected the dynamics
created by market forces over the last two years. Shippers
varied spending to adapt to conditions created by capacity Source: 31st Annual Study of Logistics and Transportation Trends

LOGISTICSMGMT.COM ME E T I N G T H E N E E D F O R TAL E N 3
 EXCLUSIVE: Study of Logistics and Transportation Trends

% transportation spend by mode since…The pandemic exposed the shortage at every level
from the warehouse to the top.”
0.6%
Domestic ocean (barge) -0.4 In this year’s “Study of Logistics and Transportation
0.2%
Trends,” only 23.7% of respondents agreed that their organiza-
0.3%
Ocean (domestic) 0.02 tion has the talent and skills needed to meet current require-
0.3%
ments and challenges, and 74% expected it to be difficult or
0.7%
Air freight (domestic) 1.5 extremely difficult to fill those needs in the upcoming year.
2.2%
Digging deeper into the specific skill needs, the study
3.2%
Rail -0.8 found both general laborer and skilled positions were dif-
2.4%
ficult to fill. As we found this year, 81% of respondents
4.6%
Air freight (international) -0.9 indicated it was either “somewhat” or “extremely difficult” to
3.7%
fill general laborer positions, while 86% reported difficulty
4.0%
Intermodal -0.2
filling driver and equipment operator related positions.
3.8%
Manufacturing and service-related positions were equally
16.0%
Dedicated -11.6
challenging, with 90% of respondents reporting difficulty
4.4%

6.6%
filling mechanic and technician type positions, and 84%
Small package -0.7
5.9% reporting difficulty filling positions for manufacturing trades
9.6%
such as welders and machinists.
International ocean 1.6
11.2%

8.0%
Skill gap
Surface parcel 5.0
13.0% Going forward, the talent picture appears even more challeng-
7.0% ing. As technology rapidly transforms logistics and supply chain
Private fleet 7.0
14.0% operations, the skills needed in the future will likely be much
12.8% different than the skills required today.
LTL 3.5
16.3% Unfortunately, less than 12% of study respondents “strongly
23.5% agree” that their organization has the talent and skills needed
TL -0.5
23.0% to meet the requirements and challenges expected in the next
3 years to 5 years.
2021 YoY change Respondents expect Internet of Things-based technolo-
2022 (2022 – 2021) gies to make the most significant impact on logistics and
supply chains over the next 3 years to 5 years. A number of
Source: 31st Annual Study of Logistics and Transportation Trends
the other top ranked technologies could help mitigate talent
shortages and skill gaps.
constraints and to meet customer needs. Spending for both For example, robotics and automation promise to make
truckload and less-than-truckload increased over the last two supply chains more efficient and less labor intensive, while
years. The results also reflect increased spending for private Artificial Intelligence can enhance human performance and
fleets as shippers looked to reduce costs and ensure capacity. decision making.
Technology alone will not resolve the logistics and supply
Help wanted chain talent issues; in fact, technology is actually a double-edged
Obtaining, training, and retaining talent is another critical sword. New skillsets will be needed as technologies are inte-
issue facing logistics and supply chain leaders and businesses. grated into supply chains, making it even more critical to recruit,
People are the most important link in the supply chain, and train and retain top talent. As we found in this year’s survey, only
without a doubt, supply chains desperately need people. 6.75% of respondents “strongly agree” that adopting new tech-
According to Abe Eshkenazi, CEO of the Association for nologies will reduce the dependence on employee talent.
Supply Chain Management (ASCM): “Talent was a seri- Almost 80% of respondents “agree” or “strongly agree”
ous situation prior to the pandemic. It has become a crisis that the number of technologies employees must use is

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 EXCLUSIVE: Study of Logistics and Transportation Trends

L&T jobs compared to jobs in other industries increasing, while nearly 55% “agree” or “strongly agree”
3.2% that their current employees lack the skills to use the
15.9% technologies effectively. Interestingly, almost 70% of
Career progression 38.9%
29.9% respondents “agree” or “strongly agree” that adopting
12.1%
new technologies may help their organization attract and
2.6%
27.6% recruit new talent.
Defined career paths 39.7%
26.9%
3.2% A perception problem
2.5% A key to tackling the logistics and supply chain tal-
24.2%
Pay 31.8%
ent threat will be improving the perception of logistics
33.1% and transportation careers. We conducted a number of
8.3%

3.2%
Benefits 15.9% Technology and talent
54.1%
(e.g., medical, retirement, etc.) 23.6% 4.3%
3.2% The amount of money and time 16.0%
17.3%
invested in training employees to 33.7%
31.4% use these technologies are very high 33.1%
Flexibility
32.1% 12.9%
(e.g. work location, times, etc.) 16.7%
2.6% 4.9%
1.9% Many current employees do not 15.4%
8.3% have the skills required to use 24.7%
Stability and job security 31.4% the new technologies effectively 42.0%
34.0% 13.0%
24.4%

3.2% 4.3%
14.1% Integrating these technologies 16.0%
Personal growth opportunities 33.3% in our current work practices 36.2%
36.5% will be very difficult 30.7%
12.8%
12.9%
4.5%
Professional development 23.6% 1.2%
31.8% The number of different 4.9%
opportunities 35.7%
technologies employees 17.2%
4.5%
must use is increasing 50.9%
1.3% 25.8%
Ability to contribute 7.1%
29.0% 8.6%
to your organization 49.7%
12.9% Adopting the technologies 22.7%
will reduce the dependence 27.6%
5.7% on employee talent 34.4%
14.6% 6.8%
Ability to impact community/society 37.6%
30.6%
11.5% 0.6%
Adopting the technologies 6.8%
5.8% will help the organization attract 23.9%
Availability of career 21.8% and recruit new talent 46.0%
39.1%
related education and training 26.9%
22.7%
6.4%

Much worse than other industries Strongly disagree

Somewhat worse than other industries Somewhat disagree
About the same as other industries Neither agree nor disagree
Somewhat better than other industries Somewhat agree
Much better than other industries Strongly agree

Source: 31st Annual Study of Logistics and Transportation Trends Source: 31st Annual Study of Logistics and Transportation Trends

LOGISTICSMGMT.COM ME E T I N G T H E N E E D F O R TAL E N 5
 EXCLUSIVE: Study of Logistics and Transportation Trends
Difficulty filling full-time positions
59%
56%
46%
40%
31%
28%
12% 12% 7%
4% 3%
2%
Manufacturing Transportation Service
related trades related trades related trades
(e.g. welder, (e.g. drivers, (e.g. mechanics,
machinists, etc.) operators, etc.) technicians, etc.)
Extremely easy Somewhat easy
interviews with industry professionals to help inform and
shape this year’s study.
The professionals were asked to share a question that
they would most like to see included and answered in the
survey. Every professional suggested some form of a ques-
tion about the perceptions of logistics-related careers, sus-
pecting that negative perceptions of the industry would be
the major barriers to attracting top talent.
In response, each participant was asked to consider
a series of job factors and then share their perception of
how logistics and transportation jobs compared to jobs in
other industries for each of the factors.
Of the job factors considered, over 62% of respon-
dents perceived the “ability to contribute to your orga-
nization” was “better” or “much better” for logistics and
transportation jobs than jobs in other careers. Almost
59% believed that logistics and transportation jobs
offered greater stability and job security.
Respondents also perceived logistics and transporta-
tion careers to be “better” or “much better” for a number
of other factors, including personal growth opportuni-
ties; career progression; ability to affect society; pay; and
professional development opportunities.
Flexibility was the only factor respondents perceived as
being “worse” or “much worse” for logistics and transporta-
tion jobs (48.7%). For the remaining three factors, avail-
ability of education and training, defined career paths, and
6 ME ETING THE NEE D FOR TA LENT 
53%
51%
42%
39%
29%
27%
20%
16%
6% 13%
3% 3%
Experienced Entry-level Low-wage laborers
mid-level managers and
managers and supervisors
supervisors
Somewhat difficult Extremely difficult
Source: 31st Annual Study of Logistics and Transportation Trends
benefits, logistics and transportation jobs were perceived as
being about the same as jobs in other industries.
The results suggest logistics and transportation jobs
offer advantages over jobs in other industries that can
be used to attract and retain talent. Results also suggest
opportunities to improve or further differentiate logistics
and transportation jobs from jobs in other industries.
It’s important to note the majority of respondents cur-
rently work in logistics related careers, and thus the per-
ceptions are likely biased. This is especially noteworthy
considering most have experience in the industry and there
were not substantial differences between the positive and
negative perceptions.
To help address some of this potential bias, respondents
were also asked to indicate their level of agreement with
the following statement: “I am very likely to encourage
my child (or child of a close friend) to pursue a career in
transportation or logistics.”
Only 19.38% of respondents strongly agreed they would
encourage their child (or child of a friend) to pursue a
career in transportation or logistics. Again, we acknowledge
there are likely factors influencing the responses that are
not accounted for in the survey.
However, the results do suggest that there’s an oppor-
tunity—and need—to improve perceptions of logistics
and transportation jobs and help make the industry more
attractive to an increasingly competitive job market.
LOGISTICSMGMT.COM
 EXCLUSIVE: Study of Logistics and Transportation Trends

The path forward Strategies for finding talent

The “31st Annual Study of Logistics (% responses that included strategy)
and Transportation Trends” found the
Social media 56%
industry a little battered and bruised
from two years of unprecedented Training existing employees for hard-to-fill positions 49%
disruptions and market conditions.
Using employee referral programs 48%
However, the people behind these
operations persevered and continued An external talent search/ recruiting agency 47%
to deliver.
Improving compensation 46%
Yet, the pressure put on the most
important link in the supply chain Collaborating with educational institutions 34%
comes at a cost. Retaining and recruit-
Increasing retention efforts 34%
ing top talent will be increasingly dif-
ficult. To succeed, organizations must Providing monetary incentives (e.g. signing bonus) 28%
take steps to adapt to the new labor
Offering more flexible work arrangements 26%
environment and develop a strategy to
tackle the talent threat. Improving benefits package 24%
Complaining is not an effective tal-
Expanded advertising efforts 24%
ent strategy. There are many factors
driving the current labor market, and Expanding geographic search region 21%

just as many opinions about why it’s

Sought talent from historically underrepresented groups 17%
so difficult to find skilled workers. It
can be tempting to blame the labor Targeting passive job seekers 9%

shortage on simply a lack of work

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) 8%
ethic or motivation.
Indeed, the current labor situa- Other 6%

tion is far more complex. How people
think about work is also changing to
a “what I do” perspective instead of a source of identity
and “who I am.” These shifts have significant implica-
tions for employers, and how we do and define work
needs to be re-evaluated.
Talent strategies need to be more employee-centric
and allow for the flexibility and work-life balance that
employees value.
As we’re finding, few industries offer the same career
opportunities as logistics and supply chain. Professionals
can opt to work in a variety of environments and industries.
Source: 31st Annual Study of Logistics and Transportation Trends
Logistics and supply chain careers offer stable employ-
ment, enticing pay, and opportunities for personal growth
and development.
Unfortunately, the industry still struggles to attract the
needed talent and when asked, only 19% of survey respon-
dents indicated that they would even encourage their
child to pursue a career in logistics.
To tackle the talent threat, the industry must confront
negative perceptions and work to enhance the appeal of
logistics and supply chain-related careers. •

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