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The logistics industry has been around for a long time, and it’s certainly not going anywhere any time soon. From figures about employment and industry size, to Brexit affects, in this article we are going to explore some interesting facts about the logistics industry and how it impacts our world.

It is one of the largest industries in the world

Although it may not be a shock that the logistics industry is huge, the actual size and value may well surprise you. Worth over $12 trillion per year globally, it’s safe to say that this industry is crucial in the world’s economy and in generating revenue for countries all over the globe. The logistics industry is spilt into many sub-categories, however trucking alone accounts for 43% of the industry, meaning that it generates around $5.16 trillion per year! That’s an unimaginable amount of money generated by one sub-section of one industry in the world!

That doesn’t mean it’s stopped growing yet

Despite the huge size of this industry, it is predicted that it is going to get even bigger over the next ten years. It’s hard to imagine that an industry generating over $12 trillion yearly is expected to grow by another 21% over the next decade. Due to increasing demand for products and the need for more and more food to feed an ever-growing population, the logistics industry will need to expand in order to keep up.

Transport and Logistics doesn’t produce as much CO2 as you’d think

Due to the amount of vans and trucks you see, and the fact that nearly everything you ever buy is transported on a truck at some point, you’d think that the logistics industry would produce a good majority of CO2 emissions from transport. You’d be wrong. In fact, trucks produce 23% of the total emissions coming from transportation, whereas cars and motorcycles contribute 57% – more than double! 

Due to Brexit, trucking emissions may even reduce in the near future

As a result of Brexit, fuel prices in the UK are likely to increase. This means that the cost for transporting goods and running trucks over long distances is also likely to increase. In turn, the UK will look to switch to renewable fuel sources that are cheaper in the long run and that will help the UK to become more environmentally friendly. With the government likely to introduce incentives to switch to things such as electric powered trucks, it is likely to boost the amount of green transport, and rapidly reduce the level of emissions produced by the trucking industry.

There’s still a lot of job demand in the industry

Currently, there are over 2.3 million people employed in the logistics industry in the UK, equating to over 8% of the total UK workforce. Surprisingly, there are still a huge number of vacancies within the industry that need filling. According to Youth Employment, there are over 735,000 job roles that are available within the logistics industry. If they were filled, that would lead to a 33% increase in employees, in an industry that is already so big. It’s therefore very important that this industry is promoted in order to get more workers to support the intense demand, not to forget the predicted 21% increase on top of the current industry size. 

In order to cope with current levels, as well as future increases, the UK needs to ensure that many more people opt for careers in the logistics industry in order to avoid a drastic shortage in workers, which could prove badly for UK logistics as a whole.

Although we’ve only touched on a few aspects of the logistics industry, you can already begin to see the incredible size and importance that it has in our world. Without the transportation of goods, not only would no products be moved, but the global economy would lose out on trillions of pounds. We are excited to watch the industry develop, continue to grow and to help keep the transportation of goods safe.