The transportation industry moves people and goods between locations by air, water, rail and road. Sub-industries in this field include:

• Trucking: Vehicles transport cargo on roadways for short and mid-range distances.
• Marine: Ships move passengers and cargo across water, including seaports, terminals and carriers.
• Air delivery: Airplanes complete expedited deliveries of small loads across long distances.
• Freight rail: Trains carry high volumes of heavy cargo across long distances through a rail network.

Transportation is competitive, and success in this industry means efficiently facilitating the flow of goods through the global consumer market. The industry has changed significantly over the centuries due to technological developments that make moving cargo easier and faster. Transportation industry trends include:

• Changing international trade due to free trade agreements and infrastructure development
• More work-from-home jobs that eliminate the need for personal transportation
• Increasing presence of environmentally friendly transportation options, like electric cars and carpooling

Transportation is a crucial economic sector because it enables the exchange of goods domestically and internationally. Due to developments such as air freight and international shipping lines, transportation has created a global market that makes it possible to purchase and trade goods anywhere in the world.

The transportation industry depends on company earnings and the costs of transportation services. Factors such as legal regulations, fuel costs, labor costs, geopolitics and service demands all impact company earnings, which in turn affect transportation.

Some challenges in the transportation industry include:

• Complex logistics and shipping: The international trade market makes it difficult to oversee the supply chain and evaluate the trade flows that will impact supply and demand. Transportation companies need to integrate the supply chain to gain full oversight.
• Environmentally friendly operation: The transportation industry faces significant pressure to reduce its carbon footprint. Federal, state and local governments have many laws to reduce emissions, such as anti-idling. For transportation companies, costs are involved with compliance, often at the risk of profits.
• Employee health and safety: The nature of transportation work can harm workers’ health. Operator fatigue from working long hours and dangerous road conditions may cause accidents and fatalities. Obesity and mental health conditions are also common among truck drivers.
• Legal adherence: Legislation that affects the transportation industry is frequently changed, and transportation companies often struggle to adapt to these modifications. They need accurate information about the new laws, plus relevant resources to implement the change. Transportation companies may also be unsure how to implement changes and train employees to follow new protocols. Failure to comply results in severe penalties.

Transportation companies benefit from certification to ISO standards in quality services, environmental impact management and future planning. Getting certified to ISO standards for the transportation industry will help your business overcome this sector’s common challenges. Benefits of certification include:

• Deliver products and services efficiently: By establishing quality measures, your company will operate more efficiently when making deliveries.
• Enhance supply chain management: Transportation industry standards streamline business processes, resulting in quality parts and improved, safe and reliable services.
• Reduce the environmental impact in your supply chain: Certification to environmental standards such as ISO 14001 helps you recognize how all phases of the supply chain impact the environment. When you understand this, you can create controls that can reduce any negative environmental influence.
• Improve your security risk management: Preparedness for security risks means your transportation company will be more resilient to minimize damage and serve customers as usual.
• Ensure safety and reliability: Certification to ISO standards streamlines your supply and logistics chain to create reliable products and services your customers can count on.
• Meet industry regulations: The transportation industry has many regulations that companies must follow. ISO standards for the transportation industry help businesses achieve compliance.