Report: Changes in 2025 for Carriers and 3PLs, Tariffs Seen as ‘Wildcard’

Analysts see demand for third-party logistics (3PL) firms to expand their reach in 2025, while carriers and last-mile providers face new challenges.

A new report from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals finds a decidedly mixed bag for logistics in 2025. The group’s State of Logistics annual report shows that carriers face significant challenges from tariffs, which threaten to “raise costs and reduce fleet expansion,” according to a report summary.

“Tariffs present a significant wildcard” to carriers, according to the summary, as they could lead to “higher truck prices,” which could curb fleet expansion, and disruptions in cost-sensitive sectors. Beyond tariffs, the group envisions carriers operating with reduced demand for Class 8 trucks and “modest freight demand growth.”

3PLs, however, are seeing growing customer demand “to move beyond intermodal logistics and invest in regional hubs and last-mile delivery networks,” the summary stated. “Strategic partnerships with local carriers, coupled with cost-efficient automation in warehouses, are becoming key to meeting those expectations.”

For last-mile providers, the data suggests a “barbell effect,” with demand splitting between “ultra-fast delivery for essentials and “ultra-low cost, slower shipping for non-essentials.”

The report’s conclusions are based on “data and qualitative expertise from a wide range of trusted sources throughout the industry.”