Dear Colleagues and Partners in the Vehicle Logistics Industry,

Vehicle logistics is entering a period of increasing operational pressure. Rising costs, volatile global networks, and shifting market dynamics are redefining how vehicle flows must be planned and managed.

In our 2026 survey, 111 industry professionals from OEMs, logistics service providers, carriers, and terminal operators shared their perspectives on the most pressing challenges in vehicle logistics and the technologies shaping its future.

The results reveal a nuanced picture. While many respondents expect vehicle transport volumes to grow in the coming years, market signals across regions remain mixed. Regardless of short-term fluctuations, operational demands across the industry continue to increase. Rising costs, limited capacity, and growing network complexity make efficient coordination of vehicle flows more critical than ever.

The study continues a series of INFORM surveys on IT in vehicle logistics, allowing us to observe how challenges and priorities in the industry have evolved over time. Through our work with companies across the vehicle logistics ecosystem, we see these challenges reflected in daily operations.

While artificial intelligence is widely seen as a transformative force, the industry’s immediate priorities are often more fundamental: better integration, real-time visibility, and systems flexible enough to adapt to evolving business requirements.

Technology must support the people managing operations every day. It should simplify decision-making rather than add complexity — and deliver measurable improvements in service levels, lead-time reliability, and cost-to-serve.

The insights presented in this report highlight where the vehicle logistics industry currently stands and where it may be heading. We hope they help industry leaders navigate these challenges and support better operational decisions in increasingly complex logistics networks.

We thank all participants for their valuable insights and look forward to continuing the conversation.

Dennis Feddern

Senior Vice President INFORM Vehicle Logistics

Aachen, Germany, March 2026