Investment in artificial intelligence across the supply chain sector is accelerating — but so is the divide between companies that are already seeing real returns and those still struggling to determine where to begin.

The trend comes as logistics operators face continued pressure to improve visibility and cost efficiency across freight networks, and AI has become one of the most closely watched technology categories in the sector, with applications spanning demand forecasting, routing optimization, document automation, and freight matching.

A new white paper from FreightWaves brings together recent research from Gartner, McKinsey, and FreightWaves to assess where the freight and supply chain industry actually stands on AI readiness, and to identify what separates leading organizations from the rest of the field.

According to the white paper, the document covers three main areas:

• Where the AI readiness gap really lies — and why initiatives stall before they can scale
• What leading organizations are doing differently from their peers
• A practical framework for evaluating an organization's next AI investment

The research draws on the latest findings from Gartner and McKinsey alongside FreightWaves' own industry data to give supply chain leaders a grounded view of AI adoption in the sector.

For decision-makers, the framework is intended to serve as a benchmarking tool: leaders can use it to evaluate candidate AI projects against the readiness factors identified in the research before committing budget, rather than relying on vendor claims alone.

Source: FreightWaves