Trucking Industry Difficulties And Future Possibilities

Without the trucking business, India’s economy would completely halt. According to the currently available statistics, the transportation industry actively employs more than 22 million people and accounts for around 6% of the GDP. In addition, the Indian economy benefits from the trucking sector’s ability to move enormous amounts of raw materials, goods that are still being produced, and finished goods.

Challenges faced by transportation service

There are many challenges the transportation sector faces in transporting and delivering various types of commodities. High operating costs, a failure to understand or follow regulations, or a lack of technology are a few examples. Other examples include wasteful paper-based processes, lack of route optimisation, in-person driver on-boardings, delays at ports brought on by misunderstandings, and improper equipment for loading or unloading cargo.

Transportation Congestion

In cases when transportation and delivery are many to complete on time, unreliable shipping can occur. And since India is a large country with diverse geography and climate, getting around might be challenging. In addition, the Ghats are prone to landslides and accidents, and the interior roads are typically in poor shape.

Additionally, India’s transportation network frequently wastes time and money due to traffic congestion, many checkpoints, and toll booths, which increases fuel usage.

Driver Shortage

The lack of drivers is another issue that logistics businesses must deal with. There aren’t currently enough drivers available to match this industry’s demand. The government has also established regulations that force companies to be rigorous when hiring drivers.

The transportation industry can use the following methods to increase the number of drivers in the transportation sector:

• Create an apprenticeship programme to attract people and maintain a younger driving demographic where they may acquire a lot of information together and become professionals.
• The second method involves boosting the proportion of women and marginalised groups hired as drivers. Truck drivers are disproportionately made up of men, although steps are being taken to change that over time.

Truck Parking

One of the biggest and most difficult issues that truck drivers still deal with is truck parking. It is so essential to build an entire business strategy around it. Nevertheless, small commercial vehicles like the Tata Yodha 1700 don’t require much room. However, Drivers of huge trucks who are having trouble finding truck parking lots are more likely to violate regulations or park in an unsafe location.

Driver Health and Well-being

In India, a professional truck driver earns an average salary of Rs. 16105 monthly. However, many claim that the pay does not make up for the long hours, nights spent away from home, risks they take when travelling, and the toll it takes on their physical and emotional health. The government may prevent this by limiting the number of hours that truck drivers can spend behind the wheel and forcing them to take breaks if it has been less than eight hours since their last haul.

Hike In Fuel Cost

One of the main issues facing the transportation industry in the Indian logistics industry is fuel cost. Fuel price inflation causes a rise in transportation expenses for shippers as well. The surcharges are continually applied to shipping rates due to rising fuel prices. As prices of fuel rise, this inevitably reduces the revenue and earnings of transportation companies.

Therefore, we can conclude that the transportation sector experiences internal and external challenges. But if the transportation industry can be thoroughly controlled and organised and set realistic goals, these challenges can be readily addressed.

The Truck Industry In The Future Of Transportation

New technologies are propelling the transportation industry forward and laying the groundwork for the future of trucking. Within the next ten years, technologies like variable cruise control, automated gearboxes, braking assistance, and blind spot monitoring will all become increasingly commonplace. In addition, electric trucks are also advancing the sector. Below are a few points that society can anticipate from trucking in the near future.

Electric trucks

All-electric semi-trucks are anticipated for the future. As environmental concerns gain traction, the gas-guzzling behemoths that everyone is accustomed to will disappear.

A significant share of global transportation-related carbon emissions is attributable to the trucking industry. This is because the future truck will be powered by electricity rather than gas as the use of electric vehicles increases.

Automation

Full automation will be responsible for handling everything, including fleet management, the most efficient routes, and truck destinations. To increase productivity and profitability, the sector is already striving to automate as much of the process as feasible.

Now automation is being used in unique ways by some businesses. For instance, loading and unloading containers may no longer need human assistance. Instead, containers can be transported on and off of vehicles using automated tracks.

Self Driving Trucks

The trucks of the future will be entirely driverless, according to experts.

At present, there are Self-driving cars, Tesla, has undergone innumerable tests they are now accessible and used by the general public. So, people can expect self-driving trucks, but it may take longer to reach roadways because they are larger than ordinary cars – possibly several years to a decade or more.

Self-driving trucks will probably be under human supervision once they are on the road. Expect self-driving trucks to eventually adopt a hybrid design where they operate autonomously but have a human driver on board who can take over if necessary.

Most of the 3.5 million truck drivers in the country will eventually have their professions changed or replaced by technology; that much is sure about the future of trucking.

However, automation goes beyond simply replacing vehicles and equipment. Even if the trucking industry’s future is still up in the air, it is evident that technology will be a significant factor behind the upcoming developments.

Conclusion

The road transportation industry’s demand and supply sectors are extremely fragmented. However, this industry is prepared to see a paradigm transition as a result of rapidly evolving consumer behaviour, modern trade and e-commerce, and the growing momentum of digitalization across businesses. However, more action is needed to ensure that the sector is not only effective but also healthy, and as many players in the logistics industry are doing their part to address these issues and encouraging policy interventions by the government.