Most logistics companies in Europe and the Middle East say digital tools are now critical to their operations, but only a small proportion have implemented them across core workflows, according to a survey by logistics technology company Deep Current.
By the numbers, most freight forwarders, third-party carriers and mid-sized carriers across Europe and the Middle East surveyed by Deep Current in the first half of 2025 said they believe adopting technology is “mission critical” for their businesses. However, only 29% confirmed that they implemented it in most operational workflows.
“What our data shows is a fundamental shift in the way logistics teams want to modernize,” Tamim Fanoush, founder and CEO of Deep Current, said in a statement. “Nearly half now prefer modular tools that plug into their existing systems, not the big platform fixes of the past.” “This ‘complementarity, non-replacement’ mentality will define 2026 because it ultimately links ambition with practicality.”
Norway-based Deep Current also found that companies are adopting new technology for their customer-facing functions long before their core logistics functions.
Today, 55% of companies use digital systems to track and visualize shipments, and 41% have invested in document auditing and compliance tools. But the operational backbone of logistics remains largely untouched by digital transformation – with only 24% of companies having digitized internal document handling (such as bills of lading and invoices) end-to-end. 61% of logistics teams still rely on emails and spreadsheets to manage communications with external partners.
Reasons for this disconnect include: integration with legacy systems such as ERP and TMS platforms (47%), unclear cost and ROI (39%), resistance to change among employees (34%), lack of internal logistics and technology expertise for digital projects (31%), and a mismatch where vendor solutions do not fully fit the nuances of logistics workflows (27%).
“The future of logistics digitization is not about betting everything on one platform or hoping that AI will magically fix inefficiencies,” Fanoush said. “It’s about adopting modular, logistics-first tools that leverage human expertise and integrate seamlessly with systems that teams already trust.”
