I won’t pretend that I recall it myself, I was a baby of the 70s, but I have heard tales from my freight friends who have a few more years behind them. Fifty years ago, there was of course no internet which means no emails! Freight forwarders had to rely on good old phone conversations, letters and the occasional fax or Telex! Typists made up a good part of the workforce and mobile phones were a thing of science fiction! 

Exporting was difficult, and because of this, it was almost impossible for a small business to do it. Only the big companies with the infrastructure and resources behind them could make it happen. 

Fast forward to today and we find ourselves in a very different situation. Anyone can import, export or trade across the world. Communication is faster, trade volumes greater and technology is transforming the way we do business year after year. 

But one thing is still the same – and I think this will never change… Freight is still founded on good communication. Yes, the WAY we’ve communicated has changed – with emails and phone calls replacing letters and faxes. But communicating with our customers, freight partners and forwarders all over the world is what makes the wheels of freight keep turning and ensures your cargo gets to where you want it to go. 

So where will we be in 50 years time? Who knows!?! Take technology as we know it today, add in the exponential growth curve and we have an unrecognisable future! 

So what do you think the future of freight will look like? Will delivery drones take off? Perhaps 3D printing will revolutionise the way we deliver goods? Or maybe, just maybe, teleportation will become possible? 

What’s your prediction? I’d love to hear it…