Increasing complexity in transportation forces transport leaders to face a perfect storm: rising costs, fragmented IT systems and data sources, dynamic changes occurring daily, and hard-to-predict demand. This article breaks down five urgent challenges, from visibility gaps to suboptimal transport fleet utilization, and shares insights to help supply chains stay resilient and responsive.
The Complexity Crisis in Transportation
Global shocks, rapidly shifting demand, growing pressure to deliver high service levels, and razor-thin delivery windows have transformed transportation from a behind-the-scenes function into a high-stakes balancing act. Capacity is tight, costs are volatile, and disruptions hit from all directions. Yet, many of the tools used in today’s supply chains were designed for a much simpler environment.
It’s not just about growing complexity anymore. Transportation in supply chain has become increasingly unpredictable and difficult to manage. Between rising customer expectations, fragmented systems, and constant change, transport leaders are juggling more variables than ever, often without the visibility or control they need.
And while logistics tech is booming, integration is lagging. The pace of digital technology adoption in supply chains is growing fast — but so are the silos. More systems, more platforms, more dashboards, more data. Less clarity.
This isn’t just an operational headache. It’s a strategic risk. And for transport leaders trying to balance speed, cost, and resilience, the stakes have never been higher.
Challenge 1: Operational Complexity is Outpacing Visibility
Today’s transportation networks span numerous carriers, various transport modes, and diverse geographic regions. But visibility alone doesn’t solve the coordination puzzle.
Companies are struggling with end-to-end network visibility, as well as aligning inland transport with warehouses and cross-docking platforms, especially when legacy systems fragment data and limit responsiveness. The result? Missed service level agreements (SLAs), costly disruptions, and reputational damage.
“Transportation complexity? It’s here to stay. So we need the right data and systems to maintain control.”
— Konrad Rosiński
Head of Transportation & Warehousing,
Supply Chain Analytics Practice
Even then, transportation can still fall short with predictive analytics when data quality is poor. Data quality isn’t a new problem — but it still contributes to the growing complexity in supply chains. In fact, Gartner found that one in three supply chain leaders isn’t confident enough to trust the data they’re working with, making it harder to adopt analytics and act with confidence.
Challenge 2: Cost Pressures are Undermining Efficiency
Cost optimization also remains as a top pain point for transport leaders. In a 2025 BCG-Alpega survey, 40 out of 63 shippers reported rising rates and surcharges as their main transportation and logistics challenge.
BCG-Alpega surveyed 63 shipment leaders, from smaller players
to large multinationals with complex, multimodal logistics.
Rising transport costs are driven by several factors, including fuel price volatility, infrastructure limitations, and increasing regulatory pressures. Labor shortages, inefficient fleet utilization, and lack of digital integration also contribute to operational inefficiencies and cost escalation.
Then there are empty miles, which increase fuel consumption, operating costs, and carbon emissions. Delays at loading docks and poor scheduling further compound the issue because of non-revenue-generating activities.
Challenge 3: Fragmented Systems Block Real-Time Decisions
Many supply chains have spent years layering on custom-built tools and point solutions, resulting in a patchwork of disconnected legacy systems. And as of 2023, over 30% of companies juggle over eight different transportation tech solutions.
But without integration across TMS, WMS, Track&Trace, and ERP platforms, real-time visibility and speed to respond effectively remains a myth. Manual inputs and legacy systems often create misaligned records and reporting errors. Most importantly, valuable data remains trapped across systems, making it difficult to tap into its full potential for smarter and faster decision-making.
A seamless integration of all transportation systems and data, along with predictive analytics, could change the game. And fortunately, progress is made by many supply chains.
In a recent survey, 66% reported investing in advanced planning and scheduling systems (APS). Yet only 10% have successfully deployed APS. This shows that a handful of supply chains still rely on more manual systems, missing the opportunity to simulate “what-if” scenarios and optimize decisions.
Challenge 4: Infrastructure Bottlenecks are Getting Worse
Port congestion, equipment shortages, climate risks, and geopolitical developments have also introduced unprecedented complexity and volatility in transportation. In the face of disruptions, legacy networks can lack the flexibility transport leaders need to reroute cargo and make other critical decisions.
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Aside from that, research shows that there’s still a gap in scenario planning in supply chains. Only 19% of supply chain leaders have scenario planning as a core part of their strategy (Gartner, 2025). But without these capabilities, leaders are flying blind in turbulent conditions.
That’s why rethinking current supply chain strategies should become a priority for business leaders to become more agile and proactively build supply chain resilience.
Challenge 5: Demand and Supply Are Still Misaligned
The reality for most supply chain leaders is that demand shifts faster than most systems can respond. Factors like seasonal spikes, unexpected fluctuations in demand and supply, and regional consumer shifts all make it challenging to efficiently allocate resources and avoid the risk of missed opportunities and underutilized fleets.
This demand-supply disconnect highlights the importance and impact of integrated planning solutions in supply chain. To tackle the challenge, transport leaders need a business-first, tech-enabled approach rooted in data and real-world impact.
Call to Leadership: Shift from Reactive to Strategic
Transportation challenges are no longer just operational. They are strategic. As supply chains grow more complex, the fact that only 30% of executives clearly understand supply chain challenges and risks should serve as a wake-up call.
The future belongs to leaders that embrace foresight, visibility, flexibility, and control. In our next article, we’ll explore how enterprises can steer clear of these challenges with the power of AI and data-driven insights. Because in today’s supply chain, complexity isn’t going away. But the ability to manage it can.
