The newly released 2027 Third-Party Logistics Study found artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly embedded in supply chain operations, while transportation disruptions and freight fraud remain major concerns for shippers and logistics providers.
Released by Penske Logistics, with support from NTT DATA and researcher John Langley, the study examined trends in AI adoption, strategic partnerships, supply chain resilience and cargo security.
According to the report, 66 per cent of shippers use AI for predictive analytics and risk planning, compared with 43 per cent of third-party logistics providers. Data quality and availability, legacy system integration and budget constraints were identified as the biggest barriers to broader AI adoption.
The study also found strategic partnerships continue to play a significant role in logistics operations. Shippers said 39 per cent of outsourced logistics spending is linked to strategic relationships with 3PL providers, while 3PLs reported that 54 per cent of their revenue comes from strategic partnerships.
Transportation capacity disruptions ranked as the leading supply chain resilience concern among both shippers and logistics providers. The report said shippers are increasingly relying on network flexibility, including multi-carrier and multimodal strategies, alternative sourcing and inventory buffering, to mitigate disruptions.
Freight fraud and cargo theft also remained a growing concern. While 69 per cent of 3PLs reported being highly satisfied with their technology defences against freight theft, only 36 per cent of shippers expressed the same level of confidence.
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