BCI Transportation Monitor

BCI Transportation Monitor

Four fastest transport cost-mitigation moves (that work across modes)

1. Tender smarter (not bigger): introduce mini-tenders, yield management and lane by lane strategies
2. Optimize loads & routing (e.g., multi-drop instead of default groupage) to cut cost immediately without waiting for a tender
3. Align service levels to real need: challenge “default express” and segment SKUs by criticality—reserve premium modes for truly critical flows
4. Diversify your carrier portfolio to reduce dependency and secure capacity when markets tighten

BCI Transportation Monitor - Summary results

Transport costs remain under heavy pressure, driven by geopolitical disruption, fuel volatility, capacity constraints and inflationary operating costs. In BCI Global’s latest Transportation Monitor webinar, Carlo Peters, Henry van de Born and Robert Wieggers shared what freight managers expect next and what companies can do now to protect budgets while building structural resilience.

What the market expects (next 3–6 months)

The Transportation Monitor uses a Freight Managers Index (FMI), comparable to a PMI: 50 = balanced, >50 = more expect increases than decreases. Current expectations point sharply upward across all modes:

• European road freight: FMI 92 (up from 82)
• Ocean freight: FMI 82 (a major swing upward vs. six months earlier)
• Global air freight: FMI 91
• European parcel freight: FMI 100, with expected increases of ~7% domestic and 9% cross-border

Drivers highlighted included rising fuel and toll costs, continuing driver shortages and limited truck capacity in Europe; higher bunker prices and rerouting (notably around the Strait of Hormuz) reducing effective vessel capacity; and air cargo volatility linked to passenger capacity changes and geopolitical instability.

Structural response: next-generation transportation management

Beyond short-term actions, the webinar emphasized building next-generation transportation management across four blocks: capabilities, organization, operating model, and technology, with a clear direction toward “no-touch” operations, stronger carrier management, improved visibility, automated workflows, and selective use of AI for repeatable decisions and (over time) exception management.

Bottom line: volatility is here to stay. Companies that combine immediate mitigation with a structural roadmap will protect cost-to-serve and improve resilience.

If you are interested in more background of the webinar and/or would like to request a copy of the deck please see here: BCI Transport Monitor Webinar

Alternatively, feel free to contact us directly:

• Henry van den Born – Senior Consultant, contact Henry via henry.born@bciglobal.com
• Robert Wieggers – Principal Consultant, contact Robert via Robert.Wieggers@bciglobal.com
• Carlo Peters – Principal Consultant, contact Carlo via Carlo.Peters@bciglobal.com