Logistics & Transport : Sectoral Challenges and Digital Solutions

11 September 2025

According to the latest data, the logistics industry is responsible for approximately 12% of global GDP.

The global logistics sector is currently experiencing unprecedented volatility due to a significant escalation in the US trade policy towards China. This situation is leading to fundamental changes in international supply chains and large-scale restructuring of established cargo and freight transportation routes.

Under such conditions, it is strongly recommended that market players whose activities are closely related to international transportation develop a comprehensive adaptive strategy for managing logistics operations, taking into account current market challenges and potential risks. Particular attention should be paid to the digitalization of prospecting processes and globalization of online visibility, active diversification of transport routes, continuous and careful monitoring of tariff changes on various markets, and maintaining maximum operational flexibility in logistics decision-making.

While many industries are actively implementing digital technologies to adapt to rapidly changing economic conditions and growing customer demands, logistics and supply chain management (SCM) companies have historically been rather slow to adopt advanced digital solutions and smart tools for logistics & transport sector. And while major logistics companies are starting to integrate digital technologies, adoption rates among other large and small companies are still relatively low.

Logistics depends on a variety of transportation methods, and each one has its niche in global trade. Here’s a breakdown of how they all compare:

• Ocean freight: 70%
• Road freight: 18%
• Rail freight: 9%
• Inland waterways: 2%
• Air freight: 0.25%

Challenges facing the transport & logistics sector

For those companies that want to keep their competitive edge in the marketplace, it’s only logical to think about the next steps in their digital transformation. Therefore, they should think ahead about how to respond to the challenges facing the transport and logistics industry by taking advantage of the latest developments in digital solutions.

Challenge #1: Finding new customers is becoming increasingly difficult

Task: Provide regular lead generation to make full use of the vehicle fleet.

Solution: Use EasyBusiness by Kompass to improve market segmentation, audience targeting and B2B lead generation processes.

Business Case: With EasyBusiness, the French group SIFA Logistics quickly optimized its prospecting solutions in France and abroad and reached a new level of sustainable global prospecting.

Challenge #2: Controlling the sales pipeline manually is getting slower

Task: Minimize the role of the human factor, automate and speed up data processing, delineate areas of responsibility and build team interaction algorithms. Digitalize all sales pipeline processes in order to effectively 24/7 monitor all stages of the sales funnel.

Solution: Use Sales Accelerator by Kompass to digitally transform all prospecting processes: from new prospect identification and first contact with them to deal monitoring and sales analytics, as well as to activate a system of business signals and smart alarms, to use buying intent data and to export data to a desired CRM.

Business Case: According to Manuela Marrocco, Marketing and Sales Director of Italian lift & elevator equipment manufacturer DMG Spa, ‘EasyBusiness allowed us to carry out very targeted searches, identifying and contacting new potential customers, monitoring active ones and getting new visibility worldwide’.

Demo Access: Try and do the best of EasyBusiness and Sales Accelerator by signing up for a free trial.

Challenge #3: Supporting an effective online brand presence is becoming more and more complicated

Task: Build an effective international online presentation aimed at active automatic attracting new customers worldwide.

Solution: Take advantage of Kompass Booster visibility options for a professional online presentation with a focus on generating an attractive multi-language service showcase, effective content marketing and proper link building.

Business case: According to Gill Hyoung Lee, Export Director of Korean drilling equipment manufacturer Tae Sung Co., ‘After using Kompass’ service, the number of inquiries through our homepage has increased dramatically. It seems that Kompass Google Indexing and SEO are the reason why more buyers have visited our homepage compared to before’.

Challenge #4: Retaining and strengthening customer loyalty is getting harder

Task: To speed up customer relationship management based on buying intent data, and to continuously grow and enrich the customer database.

Solution: Use EasyTrack by Kompass solution to quickly identify prospects at the anonymous stage on interest expressing, generate a potential customer profile using a reliable B2B data provider and then conduct lead scoring.

What Logistics & Transport Companies Are Really Looking For:

• Direct access to shippers and B2B buyers
• Leads based on import/export volumes
• New opportunities in target countries or trade lanes
• Fast, targeted company list creation for outbound sales
• Visibility among international sourcing professionals
• Smart, filterable B2B data with logistics-specific criteria

Why Logistics & Transport Companies Choose Kompass

1. Win More B2B Logistics Contracts, Locally and Globally
   → Identify and target shippers, exporters, importers, manufacturers, and procurement managers across 70+ countries who need logistics services — with over 2.8 million verified international trade players in our database.
2. Get Found by the Right B2B Buyers
   → Increase your online visibility in key markets with a multilingual business profile on Kompass.com — trusted by thousands of sourcing and procurement professionals worldwide.
3. Accelerate Prospecting with Smart Search Tools
   → Use 60+ filters and AI-powered semantic search to quickly find and qualify leads based on trade activity, transport needs, size, turnover, fleet type, logistics partners, and more.
4. Access Verified Decision-Makers Instantly
   → Save time and reach the right contacts with direct access to millions of phone numbers, emails, and decision-maker names — no more endless searching on directories or websites.
5. Grow Your International Client Base
   → Use EasyBusiness to segment potential clients in import/export-heavy industries, including manufacturing, food, pharma, chemicals, and e-commerce — the sectors that rely most on logistics support.
6. Seamless Integration with Your Sales Process
   → Export qualified lead lists directly to Excel, PDF, or integrate them into your CRM — allowing your sales team to act fast and focus on closing.
7. Proven Value for Freight Forwarders, 3PLs, and Warehousing Providers
   → Kompass is used by logistics companies across Europe, Asia, and the Americas to uncover new routes, expand their client base, and position themselves in front of high-volume shippers.

In conclusion

The development of the transport and logistics sector in the coming years promises to be both exciting and demanding.

With Kompass solutions, transport and logistics companies will be able to overcome the challenges they face in finding and serving the right prospects, as well as to continue to provide valuable service to their customers while adapting to the changing demands of the global marketplace.