Despite years of investment in digital platforms and AI, freight operations still depend heavily on humans manually connecting disconnected systems, according to a new industry report released by Deep Current.
“Many logistics organizations continue to operate in environments where workflows are fragmented and require significant ‘human integration layer’ in between more than 5-plus systems on average for a typical workflow. Even in 2026, many tech platforms and AI models still depend on this human intervention to deliver results,” says Tamim Fannoush, founder and CEO, Deep Current AS.
Key takeaways:
· The study indicates that a large share of the industry still struggles in early stages of operational digitalization and decision intelligence, where data does not flow seamlessly and automation is not fully embedded into first entry points of data feeding.
· With more than 24 months of project implementation samples studied, varying across mid and large-sized logistics sector implementation, the highest friction remains in data connectivity and workflow integration, where systems are still disconnected and AI operates outside execution.
· The report found 61% of logistics teams still depend on emails and spreadsheets for operational communication; 57% report shipment delays caused by document errors; only 29% have implemented digital tools across core operational workflows; and 47% cite legacy system integration as the biggest barrier to adoption.
Deep Current
· More than half of logistics operators still re-enter the same shipment data across multiple systems, while nearly half switch between five or more platforms to complete a single workflow.
· Many AI initiatives continue to struggle because intelligence is layered on top of workflows rather than embedded directly inside them.
· The gap between digital ambition and operational reality is where most transformation efforts stall.
