The arrival of March delivered the expected déjà vu of the pandemic’s initial shock, but it also brought hope, as the COVID-19 vaccine shines light at the end of the tunnel. On average, the U.S. is administering 1.7 million vaccines per day. Across the globe, more than 316.6 million vaccines have been administered.
In an exclusive interview with FreightWaves, AIT Worldwide Logistics President and CEO Vaughn Moore shared his unique perspective on the coming months and the latter half of 2021, not only for shippers across all industries but for the logistics industry as well. With more than 85 locations across the world providing sea, air and ground supply chain solutions across all industries, AIT hears optimism from its customers for the second half of 2021.
“For companies that went into the COVID-19 year, if they were strong they came out stronger,” said Moore. “They were able to pivot and adjust culturally to the many changes that occurred. 2021 is going to be something of a pivotal year for our industry as a whole. You’re going to see the ocean freight release valve at the ports, which will cause an uptick for full truckload brokerage and other products getting to shelf.”
Vaughn shared customers’ palpable excitement for the return of trade shows and larger gatherings. Without these in-person gatherings, more companies have made better use of digital marketing and social media. In regard to returning to the office for work, Vaughn said that for many companies, a hybrid work-from-home model might be here to stay.
“We have to understand that there’s a new way of doing business,” said Moore. “Working from home certainly doesn’t mean people are on a vacation. Some people are very effective working from home, but also, they desire being around other people and having that interaction, so we as employers have to be empathetic.”
