What to Know About Transport & Logistics’ New Normal

The new normal for Australian transport and logistics continues to evolve—less crisis-driven than the past few years, but still shaped by volatility, digital risk, and rising complexity. While container costs have eased after 2024’s Red Sea security disruptions, global trade remains fragile. Routes remain vulnerable to political unrest, climate events, and cybersecurity threats, while demand patterns shift around e-commerce trends and infrastructure changes.

Demand is Steady, But Different

Domestic freight flows have stabilised but remain altered by long-term consumer behaviour shifts. According to Australia Post’s 2025 Inside Australian Online Shopping report, online purchases now account for 1 in 7 goods bought in Australia, and online spending in 2024 exceeded $63 billion, a 1.1% increase from the prior year Consumers now shop more frequently with smaller basket sizes, meaning parcel volumes remain elevated across suburban and regional networks—even beyond traditional holiday peaks.

For transport and logistics operators, this shift means planning for year-round demand in smaller consignments and last-mile delivery complexity. According to the report’s executive summary, “shopping habits established during the pandemic have stuck,” reinforcing the need for a resilient and flexible delivery network.

In the B2B sector, domestic freight efficiency remains a national policy focus. The Federal Government has launched a review of coastal shipping regulation and port access, aiming to improve competition and resilience across intermodal supply chains. While these reviews are ongoing, the outcomes may have long-term implications for businesses that rely on coastal or rail-integrated freight corridors

Reliability and Visibility Trump Pure Speed

With global trade still susceptible to tariff shifts, weather events and port congestion, shippers are prioritising route diversification and inventory positioning over single-lane efficiency. Industry bodies and multilateral agencies continue to flag a fragile trade outlook, reinforcing the need for contingency planning and flexible service agreements across ocean, air and road.

Practically, that means: multi-carrier contracts, alternative gateways, and SLA structures that reward transparency (milestone scans, ETA accuracy) as much as transit time. For SMEs, sharing forecast data with carriers and 3PLs improves capacity allocation and reduces last-minute premium freight.

Cyber is Now a Core Logistics Risk

Cybersecurity is now a critical supply chain concern. In 2023–24, the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) received one cybercrime report every six minutes, with transport and logistics a prime target due to the digitisation of warehouse management systems (WMS), transport management systems (TMS), and supplier portals.

Ransomware, compromised credentials, and invoice tampering are among the most common incidents. SMEs in particular suffer higher proportional losses compared to larger enterprises

Practical Playbook for This Year

• Scenario plan your lanes. Map alternates for your top five lanes (ocean/air/road) and pre-agree spot-rate rules for contingencies. Tie carrier incentives to data quality and DIFOT, not just speed.
• Right-size inventory to demand. Use the AusPost report’s insights on sales peaks to align safety stock and pick-pack labour, reducing urgent freight costs during promotions.
• Harden digital operations. Adopt ACSC Essential Eight controls appropriate to your size; rehearse manual workarounds for WMS/TMS outages so dispatch can continue during an incident.
• Watch policy settings. Track coastal shipping and port access reviews that can alter domestic lead times and cost bases, especially for intermodal networks.

Bottom line: 2025 logistics isn’t about chasing the single fastest lane. Rather it’s about building resilient, visible networks that keep orders moving when conditions change. Use current demand data, diversify your options, and stress-test both your physical and digital supply chain to stay ahead.

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