More than 2,500 exhibitors participating in an upcoming trade exhibition in Munich, Germany, have had their say about the state of the logistics industry.

Service providers, shippers and suppliers have expressed their views in an online survey for Transport Logistic’s Trend Index to be held in May.

What unites them all is the shortage of skilled labour and drivers in a market environment shaped by inflation.

One in two exhibitors considers the sector to be more important than ever.

While some are pessimistic about the future, the majority of respondents believe the industry is in a robust position.

However, one in three expect to see a downturn, with two-thirds of the respondents preparing for a possible recession.

Around three-quarters anticipate further disruptions within the supply chain.

While smaller companies have been hit hard by inflation and costs, larger players are challenged by the shortage of energy and raw materials as well as disruption in the logistics value chain.

Across all industries and company sizes, every second respondent is affected by staff shortages, with service providers (38.2%) more challenged than shippers (28.4%).

More than 40% of the respondents don’t consider the logistics industry as an appealing workforce.

Rising inflation (29%) and growing price and competitive pressure (28%) are putting a strain on more than one in four companies – the biggest challenge for two-thirds of small and medium-sized companies. 

Larger companies are concerned about raw materials and energy (31%) and disrupted supply chains (26%).