'The UK is a skills vacuum and will continue to suck in talent until we can fix the problem at its source'

摘要

It has been my recent privilege to be a judge for the Global Freight Awards. As a bit of an outsider to that branch of logistics - its focus is on shipping and freight forwarding - it's been fascinating to read about the challenges and triumphs affecting this key part of the global supply chain. There's a massive move to reduce emissions - and, in tandem with that, costs - as well as challenges caused by ever-eroding margins. Sounds familiar? Empty running, load optimisation, consolidation, the threat from the Far East, the changing patterns of consumer behaviour, skills shortage, lack of new, young workers... These are all areas common to the world logistics industry, whether it's shifting pallets from Leicester to Liverpool or containers from Singapore to Southampton.