penske logistics

NEW YORK, June 3, 2025 – The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) has released the findings of its annual State of Logistics Report. The longstanding report indicates that businesses continue to navigate through a fog of supply chain and economic uncertainty. What is true today may not be true tomorrow in this rapidly changing landscape.

Created annually for CSCMP by global consulting firm Kearney and presented by Penske Logistics, this publication offers to the industry a close-up of the American economy through the lens of the logistics sector.

The report further suggests ongoing fragile business optimism driven by fluctuating demand, emerging technological disruptions, and a renewed need for resilience and agility.

Notable trends and statistics include:

• U.S. business logistics costs are $2.58 trillion, which amounts to 8.8% of the national GDP. Last year, the numbers were $2.45 trillion and 8.8% respectively.
• The logistics industry in 2024 saw a return to pre-pandemic patterns in some areas, but was also marked by flat business volumes, excess truck capacity and rising operational costs.
• E-commerce continues to move along at a brisk pace, with global online retail sales nearing $6.3 trillion, resulting in more efficient last-mile delivery, increasingly agile warehousing, and a stronger demand for air freight.
• Geopolitical tensions, combined with proposed and enacted tariffs, and shifting trade regulations around the world, have combined to increase transit times, capacity constraints, rate volatility in ocean freight (leading to longer home package delivery times and delays), and a greater reliance from third-party logistics providers to deliver end-to-end support.
• Mexico overtook China as the United States’ largest trading partner in 2024. Transactions between the U.S. and Mexico topped at a record $840 billion, a 6% year-over-year improvement.
• Technology investment continues to be an essential component of the modern supply chain. Data analytics, artificial intelligence as well as robotics and automation are among the headliners supply chain leaders are working on.

Mark Baxa, CSCMP president and CEO stated: “Today’s logistics leaders are operating in a world of rapid shifts and persistent uncertainty—a true fog of global commerce. This year’s State of Logistics Report helps supply chain professionals cut through that fog with insight, data, and direction. It highlights not only the challenges of disrupted trade flows, evolving customer expectations, and constrained capacity, but also the resilience and innovation reshaping the logistics landscape. At CSCMP, we’re proud to provide this essential industry benchmark, empowering leaders to navigate complexity and chart a confident course forward.”

Korhan Acar, Kearney partner and lead author for the State of Logistics Report, shared: “As the fog thickens, the logistics industry must move beyond short-term fixes and fundamentally rethink resilience—not as a luxury, but as a strategic imperative embedded in networks, technology, and decision-making. In a world defined by disruption, resilience is what ensures continuity, enabling agility and long-term durability. And as AI and automation drive down the cost of building resilient supply chains, the greater risk now lies in standing still.”

Andy Moses, senior vice president of solutions and sales strategy, Penske Logistics remarked: “There is a great deal of quality content in this year’s State of Logistics Report. Each day, we are helping our customers find resiliency in their supply chains, as we leverage best-in-class technology and amass capacity on a flexible basis as needed.”

Penske Logisticsis a Penske Transportation Solutions company headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania. The company is a leading provider of innovative supply chain and logistics solutions. Penske offers solutions including dedicated transportation, distribution center management, lead logistics, freight management, transportation management, freight brokerage, and a comprehensive array of technologies to keep the world moving forward. Visit PenskeLogistics.com to learn more.

Since 1926, Kearney has been a leading management consulting firm and trusted partner to three-quarters of the Fortune Global 500 and governments around the world. With a presence across more than 40 countries, our people make us who we are. We work impact first, tackling your toughest challenges with original thinking and a commitment to making change happen together. By your side, we deliver—value, results, impact. To learn more about Kearney, please visit www.kearney.com.

Since 1963, the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) has supported the supply chain management community through their mission to lead the supply chain profession by connecting, developing and educating the world’s supply chain management and logistics professionals throughout their careers. With more than 10,000 members globally, representing business, government, and academia from 62 countries, CSCMP members are the leading practitioners and authorities in the fields of logistics and supply chain management. To learn more, visit cscmp.org [cscmp.org]

READING, Pa., March 11, 2025 - During a recent awards ceremony, Penske Logistics celebrated its 2024 Freight Management Carrier award recipients. The award is based on: A Penske Logistics enterprise scorecard combined with customer, operations and sourcing feedback. The 14 honorees were chosen from among Penske’s base of trucking carriers within its freight management operations.

“We have been navigating a challenging freight environment on behalf of our customer base, and thankfully these award winners have been the best-of-the-best in helping us weather the storm,” stated Tracy Urbanski, senior vice president of operations for freight management, Penske Logistics. “A hearty congratulations go out to our worthy recipients.”

These are the 2024 Penske Logistics Freight Management Carrier Award winners:

• Brokerage Provider: Total Quality Logistics
  
• Flatbed Transporter – National: TMC Transportation
  
• Flatbed Transporter – Regional: Freedom Trans Dedicated
  
• Intermodal Carrier: Knichel Logistics
  
• Less-Than-Truckload U.S. National Carrier: Estes Express Lines
  
• Less-Than-Truckload U.S. Regional Carrier: Pitt Ohio
  
• Less-Than-Truckload Canadian Carrier: Trans-Frt. McNamara
  
• Liquid Bulk Transporter: Venezia Liquid Tank Lines
  
• Truckload Canada: Lion Force Transport
  
• Truckload U.S. National Carrier: Landstar
  
• Truckload U.S. Regional Carrier: MVT Services
  
• Refrigerated Provider: Roadtex
  
• Mexico Cross-Border Carrier: Select Dedicated Solutions
  
• Penske Carrier of the Year: Lion Force Transport

Penske Logistics has more than $6.7 billion in freight under management. Penske provides freight management and brokerage solutions to help manage transportation networks, and handle seasonal needs, capacity surges and challenging lanes. Please click here to learn more about joining Penske’s professional carrier network.

Penske Logisticsis a Penske Transportation Solutions company headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania. The company is a leading provider of innovative supply chain and logistics solutions. Penske offers solutions including dedicated transportation, distribution center management, lead logistics, freight management, transportation management, freight brokerage, and a comprehensive array of technologies to keep the world moving forward. Visit PenskeLogistics.com to learn more.

Reading, Pa. – Dec. 4, 2024 – Penske Logistics was recognized for its industry-leading work in the automotive aftermarkets supply chain by Toyota North America with a 2024 Service Outbound Award. Penske was a recipient during Toyota’s supplier conference in Plano, Texas.

“It is truly an honor to be recognized by our longtime customer at Toyota North America and we are sincerely appreciative of this award,” stated Jeff Jackson, president of Penske Logistics. “We are especially thankful to be supported on this account by an incredible team of associates who go above and beyond each day to serve our customer and accelerate the performance of their aftermarket supply chain.”

Penske Logistics earned the honor with its commitment to safety, quality and on-time delivery to support Toyota’s service parts dealer network in select Southeast, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic markets.

Penske Logistics is a Penske Transportation Solutions company headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania. The company is a leading provider of innovative supply chain and logistics solutions. Penske offers solutions including dedicated transportation, distribution center management, lead logistics, freight management, transportation management, freight brokerage, and a comprehensive array of technologies to keep the world moving forward. Visit PenskeLogistics.com to learn more.

READING, Pa., Oct 22, 2024 – Penske Logistics is a 2024 Top Food Chain Provider as designated by Food Chain Digest, the official publication of the Food Shippers of America (FSA). The Top Food Chain Provider program recognizes third-party logistics providers and related companies that excel in food and beverage capabilities and services.

“Many supply chains in the food industry are struggling due to sluggish consumer demand, economic headwinds driven by high inflation and interest rates, geopolitical instability and continued fragmentation of global trade,” explained Brian Everett, group publisher and editorial director of Food Chain Digest.

“A common denominator for the providers selected to the 2024 list is their ability to help food shippers navigate these complicated challenges by providing creative solutions, supply chain visibility, streamlined processes and dependable services,” he continued.

Penske Logistics provides fresh, on-time delivery and cold storage solutions. Penske is a reliable logistics and supply chain partner that aids companies in the food and beverage space to solve the supply and delivery challenges unique to their businesses.

“We are honored that food manufacturers, retailers and distributors voted for Penske Logistics to be recognized as a top 3PL in this space,” stated Jeff Jackson, Penske Logistics president. “We are very pleased to partner with some of the most prominent brands in the grocery and retail food and beverage space. Our goal is always to collaborate closely with our customers and accelerate their supply chain performance.”

Penske Logistics is a Penske Transportation Solutions company headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania. The company is a leading provider of innovative supply chain and logistics solutions. Penske offers solutions including dedicated transportation, distribution center management, lead logistics, freight management, transportation management, freight brokerage, and a comprehensive array of technologies to keep the world moving forward. Visit PenskeLogistics.comto learn more.

READING, Pa., Oct 1, 2024 – The 2025 Third-Party Logistics Study, spearheaded by Dr. C. John Langley of Penn State University and developed in collaboration with NTT DATA and Penske Logistics, was unveiled today at the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) EDGE. In its 29th year, the study delves into the evolving dynamics of the supply chain under the theme Navigating Change, reflecting the current challenges within the industry.

The research highlights three pivotal areas: Change management in shipper (companies that manufacture goods or provide services) and 3PL (third-party logistics providers) relationships; artificial intelligence; and the importance of the direct-to-consumer experience.

The research provides a deeper dive into the current state of the 3PL market, and contemporary issues like nearshoring and trends in commercial real estate and supply chain labor are also contained within.

Some key learnings from the 2025 3PL Study include:

• Change management is essential to keeping pace in the marketplace: Shippers (61%) and 3PLs (73%) both agree that supply chain change management is vital. Demand for change management is driven by customer experience, economic factors and technological advancements. Among survey respondents, 58% of shippers and 76% of 3PLs are currently employing a change management framework.
• Artificial intelligence is a supply chain competitive advantage: Both shippers and 3PLs are in agreement that AI can be pivotal in automating data analysis, identifying patterns, solving problems and automating repetitive tasks. Results uncovered that 33% of shippers are seeking implementations related to supply planning and demand forecasting, while 19% of 3PLs reported planning implementation in this area. Also, 27% of shippers expressed an interest in transportation and route optimization technologies, while 22% of 3PLs noted they are planning to install these capabilities.
• The continued e-commerce effect is shaping the direct-to-consumer experience: 48% of shippers and 53% of 3PLs reported that customers routinely expect deliveries in less than two days, and 27% of shippers and 26% of 3PLs noted that there are three-day or less delivery expectations. Shippers (44%) and 3PLs (38%) are willing to absorb a small percentage of the costs related to shipping speeds. Both shippers and 3PLs view delivery speed and further delivery visibility as strong areas of differentiation.

The study surveyed 3PL providers and users of 3PL services to understand the current state of 3PLs and how 3PL relationships are evolving with their customers. The research continues to capture and measure this evolving industry and document the transformation of the third-party logistics sector as new challenges and opportunities emerge. The 2025 study and past versions are available for download at www.3PLStudy.com.

“While users and providers of 3PL services continue to report successful relationships, they find themselves having to deal with an increasingly wide range of challenges,” said Dr. C. John Langley, Professor, Supply Chain & Information Systems, Penn State University. “While examples include economic concerns, geopolitical unrest, and changing markets for supply chain services, they also are taking advantage of change management processes to benefit from new and improved capabilities such as AI and direct-to-customer proficiencies.”

“This year’s study once again achieves success with providing readers with a nuanced understanding of the key issues facing our supply chains today,” said Ramu Pannala, Vice President of Supply Chain Technology, Penske Logistics. “Technology will drive the industry forward in many exciting ways.”

“This reinforces what we see in the market regarding businesses trying to manage through the volatility of day-to-day operations, relying on new capabilities like AI, and deeper partner relationships,” said Shanton Wilcox, Senior Vice President, Supply Chain Consulting, NTT DATA. “All of these efforts and investments rely on change management to increase the likelihood of success.”

NTT DATA is a $30+ billion trusted global innovator of business and technology services. We serve 75% of the Fortune Global 100 and are committed to helping clients innovate, optimize and transform for long-term success. As a Global Top Employer, we have diverse experts in more than 50 countries and a robust partner ecosystem of established and start-up companies. Our services include business and technology consulting, data and artificial intelligence, industry solutions, as well as the development, implementation and management of applications, infrastructure and connectivity. We are also one of the leading providers of digital and AI infrastructure in the world. NTT DATA is part of NTT Group, which invests over $3.6 billion each year in R&D to help organizations and society move confidently and sustainably into the digital future. Visit us at nttdata.com.

Penske Logistics is a Penske Transportation Solutions company headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania. The company is a leading provider of innovative supply chain and logistics solutions. Penske offers solutions including dedicated transportation, distribution center management, lead logistics, freight management, transportation management, freight brokerage, and a comprehensive array of technologies to keep the world moving forward. Visit PenskeLogistics.com to learn more.