Scaled Adoption of AI Remains Limited

AI in logistics continues to make inroads, as more than 40% of shippers now take logistics providers' AI capabilities into account when selecting partners. However, less than  10% currently treat AI as a mandatory criterion, according to a new report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), AI Is Already Moving the Logistics Industry Forward.

Even with this level of interest, about 40% of logistics service providers have moved beyond pilots, while only about one in ten have scaled AI across core operations.

"Interest in AI is rising faster than implementation across logistics," said Markus Weidmann, a managing director and partner at BCG and a coauthor of the report, in a statement. "Many companies have moved beyond experimentation, but only a small share have embedded AI into core operations at scale. The next challenge is less about access to technology and more about execution, integration, and building the capabilities to capture measurable value."

From Experimentation to Implementation

A growing gap remains between interest in AI and operational scale. About 40% of logistics service providers report deploying AI beyond pilots, but only about one in ten have embedded AI into core operations at scale. Just 13% report measurable value from AI.

LSPs and shippers also show broad alignment on where AI matters most. Survey respondents identified transport planning and execution, forecasting, and visibility as the areas where AI can deliver the greatest value. Nearly 80% cited cost reduction and operational efficiency as the main triggers for adoption.

The biggest barriers to adoption are no longer technology cost or complexity. Respondents most often cited unclear ROI and internal capability gaps as the main obstacles to scaling AI.

Regional Differences Remain Pronounced

Regional differences in AI maturity across logistics remain substantial. In Asia Pacific, 31% of logistics providers report embedding AI into core operations, compared with 14% in North America and 6% in Europe.

European logistics providers may face increasing competitive pressure as customer expectations for AI capabilities continue to rise. Across the industry, respondents pointed to workforce capabilities and integration into day-to-day operations as the main requirements for moving beyond pilot programs.

"Technology is no longer the bottleneck. What matters now is organization, capability, and the ability to integrate AI into daily operations," said Daniel Cohen, CEO of Alpega Group, in a statement. "Companies that act now can unlock new levels of efficiency and strengthen their competitiveness for the long term."

Investment Is Shifting Toward Integration and Reskilling

Many logistics providers are now prioritizing implementation over experimentation. Roughly 60% of LSP respondents said that integrating AI into existing systems will be their main investment priority over the next one to two years.