The rise of the e-commerce and the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic have accelerated the digitalisation of the transport and logistics sector in Spain.
According to the National Observatory of Technology and Society, logistics is already the sector that makes the third-largest use of big data, a technology that is already implemented in 19% of transport and storage companies.
Today's logistics models need to increase their efficiency and flexibility to meet rising customer expectations and demands, and to become more sustainable.
Digitalisation means transport and logistics resources, which are often under-utilised, can be better used by introducting new types of collaboration.
In Spain, 24% of the total road freight transport in vehicle-kilometres is carried out by empty vehicles compared with 20% in the EU overall or just 6% in countries like Denmark. The share of freight transport by empty vehicles jumps to 29% for domestic transport with intra-regional services accounting for the highest percentage of empty kilometres.
Several Spanish freight exchange and transport platforms are emerging which allow transport optimisation like On Truck, created in 2016, and Transeop, launched in 2018.
Other companies are joining forces to share routes and adapt fleets. Last year, Capsa Food, a leading Spanish dairy company, and the global chemical and consumer goods company Henkel, agreed to share a duo trailer of 31.75 metres, on a common route between Madrid and Barcelona to reduce empty kilometres saving 115 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. This project is coordinated by global supply chain company CHEP through its Collaborative Transport Solutions, which belongs to the Zero Waste World Program, which focuses on avoiding physical waste and eliminating inefficiencies in the supply chain through digitalisation.
Food retailer Mercadona is also committed to the sustainble optimisation of its supply chain through several combined initiatives such as the use of electric trucks, automated intralogistics (logistics inside its own facilities) and the implementation of its "Eight Strategy" which aims to ensure carefully planned routes mean the trucks are never empty.
Although the percentage of empty kilometres in Spain has gradually decreased by 2 percentage points over the last decade, there is room for improvement in operational efficient.
The growing importance of logistics within the economy and the rise of e-commerce is leading to an increase and a fragmentation of the flow of goods while concerns about the environment increase.
European Recovery Funds are helping to fund the change: for example, the European Commission has granted €382.7 million under the 2022 tranche of REACT-EU to support the country's recovery from the pandemic and its digital and green transition.