2026 turned out to be quite a year. We called it the year of acceleration, and among other things, AI moved into everyday use across the logistics industry. As we head toward 2027, the conversation is shifting from adoption to impact. Trade and geopolitics are keeping everyone on their toes and with tight budgets, companies want to see the value of their technology investments.

And through it all, people and partnerships will matter as much as ever. Here’s what we expect to see in 2027:

1. Disruption: the map keeps moving

Trade policy, energy prices, fuel costs and geopolitics are all volatile at once. Europe will still feel the effects up close through regional conflicts continuing to hit its supply chains directly. Upcoming elections across key European markets including France’s presidential race and parliamentary votes in Italy, Spain and Poland could bring new thinking on infrastructure spending, road tolls and how quickly emissions rules are enforced. North America is just as exposed to fuel and energy costs, but it has pressures of its own as well. Cross-border trade with Mexico and Canada is growing, while tighter scrutiny of Chinese goods routed through those countries could reshape established trade lanes.

And let’s not forget about the weather. In summer 2026, low water on the Rhine left barges running roughly a fifth full. With a single barge carrying the equivalent of 50 to 150 truckloads, that’s a lot of freight looking for another route. It’s a reminder that not every disruption is rooted in conflict or trade disputes.

Rail can take on some of that freight, but it won’t be able to absorb much more until capacity improves. Germany, for example, is investing heavily in rail infrastructure, but major improvements will take years to deliver. Until then, expect intermodal transport to make progress corridor by corridor.

2. AI: from automation to governed autonomy  

In our predictions for 2026, we said “AI as a colleague” was replacing “AI as a tool.” In 2027, that colleague gets a promotion.

Companies will hand more and more defined tasks to AI agents, while keeping them inside safe, guarded environments. Fully autonomous operations are still some way down the line. Today, most AI applications wait for a person to trigger them. In 2027, expect most to start acting proactively, with people overseeing the results. “Give me a summary of this” will become “Will this load be delayed, and what should we do about it?”

Autonomy is beginning to show up on the streets too, with trucks being tested on public roads. While wider rollout in Europe still depends largely on legislation, these vehicles are becoming a more realistic option every year.

Answering these types of questions requires good data, and that problem isn’t solved. But companies have stopped trying to clean up every last drop of data before they put AI to work in this way. They pick a use case, work out exactly what data it needs and plug that in first.

3. Smaller players: catching up on digitalisation

Technology that once needed a big budget and a bigger IT team has pulled within reach of small and mid-sized shippers and carriers. With leaner processes and fewer ERPs to untangle, these companies can move fast, as long as leadership is on board. Big players gain too, as they can increasingly digitise the small processes that never previously seemed worth the investment.

Companies that don’t invest risk falling behind, and that’s already fuelling mergers and acquisitions across the industry.

4. People: the roles change, not just the tasks

Despite the rise of technology, transportation is still first and foremost a people’s business. That starts with drivers. The shortage isn’t going away, so digitalisation can pick up the most slack, with better planning and fewer empty loads.

In logistics teams, routine process roles will continue to shrink, but people aren’t stepping aside. Instead, there’s a shift towards managing exceptions. Rather than validating routine shipments, logistics professionals will handle the edge cases, compliance thresholds and disruptions that AI flags.

Customers welcome the speed that AI allows, and how quickly it can resolve some issues. But when it comes to delicate or complex matters, they still want the option of speaking to a human. “Can we still call you?” is a question support teams will be hearing for a while yet, as connections and collaboration matter as much as ever.

Change is tough, and nobody enjoys having their processes rewritten, but the leaders who explain the thinking behind the strategy and bring their teams along for the ride are the ones who’ll succeed.

5. Connected data: one link at a time

There’s a lot of value in logistics just sitting idle, stuck in data that never leaves its origin system. Warehouse operations, transport execution, dock and yard scheduling, real-time visibility, freight audit: each holds a critical piece of the big picture. But they rarely talk to each other. Connecting it all lets teams ask AI, “What are the five things most likely to go wrong today?” and get an answer worth acting on. AI agents will help here, giving people one common interface across fragmented systems.

Progress will be gradual, coming use case by use case. When companies connect one piece of the puzzle, they quickly see what adding the next one could do. The more partners that connect, the more everyone can optimise across the network.

Sharing more also means knowing who you’re sharing with. With digital freight fraud becoming more sophisticated targeting the systems, credentials and digital identities, companies will need to combine AI checks and trusted network relationships.

Heading into 2027

So where does that leave us? Well, with a year where nothing gets a free pass. The map will keep moving, and AI will have to earn its keep like any other investment. Smaller players will continue to close the distance on the big ones, and the companies sharing data with their business partners will act on disruptions earlier than those going it alone.

And despite all the technology, logistics remains a people business. From the drivers on the road and dispatchers managing daily operations to the trusted partner relationships in the freight network, people will decide how much value companies get out of any of it.