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so how does aMazon’s race
to the custoMer aFFect
trucking? to compete, carriers may have to offer a
Amazon won’t be putting trucking Broader set of solutioNs to their customers.
companies out of business, but if we do
see Amazon as a new player in the logis-
tics market, there could certainly be a
real impact based on the size and influ- into the industry a “game changer” or with Amazon. “I think the thing to be
ence of a company like Amazon. “disruptive.” thinking about if I’m a transportation
Voss doesn’t see Amazon “My view tends to be that it will executive is the way the shopper is buy-
clearing the obstacles of building a increase competition, and I actually ing, giving them power will affect how
sophisticated carrier empire any time think that it will make the carriers even things will ship in some way, shape or
soon, particularly when it comes to better at what they do. But I suspect form. And carriers need to be able to cre-
drones. “This is a somewhat pie in the that anytime that you introduce com- ate a broad enough portfolio of services
sky thing. It sounds good. It’s a great petition, the margin is just going to get or connect with the right companies that
idea, but there are so many regulatory more efficient. The really good carriers make them a part of that network.”
hurdles that [they] will have to jump.” are going to respond to that.” The bottom line is it’s “too early to
The circumstances for this to really To compete, carriers may have to tell,” Voss says. “We’ll just have to see
be a game changer? offer a broader set of solutions to their how it all pans out.”
“IF” he stresses, “it’s successful on customers. “Because the way that retail- While it may be too early to fore-
a large scale, then there could be an ers were shipping 10 years ago may not cast the disruption of freight as we
impact on the industry. It will have some be the way that they are going to be know it, Amazon certainly seems to be
impact, for some carriers, in some lanes.” shipping now or in 5 years from now,” taking advantage of all the tools in its
He emphasizes the qualifier some. Williams says. belt and even creating some new ones
Williams agrees that it’s too Instead, he urges carriers to think to answer customer demand for “faster,
hyperbolic to call Amazon’s entry beyond the possibility of competition faster.” ATR

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