Between 7% and 11% of logistics firms in the United States currently identify sustainability as a primary concern for their business, an indication of how sustainability has fallen down the priority list for industry players.
According to the Sustainability in Logistics Report 2025, produced by Tech.co and based on more than 1,500 responses gathered over a five month period, vehicle upkeep (cited by 19% to 23% of respondents) and financial pressure (16% to 21% of respondents) are seen as more pressing matters than sustainability.
Of the firms that are prioritising sustainability, most are doing so as part of their efforts to cut costs, with 43% of supply chain professionals seeking to reduce idle time and 40% looking to optimise routes.
‘After that, there is a huge drop off in the number of businesses adopting sustainable initiatives,’ the report notes.
‘Positively impact the bottom line’
“If you look at the most popular sustainability measures from our research, you’ll find it’s those that can positively impact the bottom line,” commented Jack Turner, editor at Tech.co.
“Route optimisation and fuel efficiency are by far the biggest investment areas.”
Electric vehicles
An earlier survey on logistics sustainability, which was undertaken in April, found that more than two fifths (41%) of logistics professionals in the US were trialing electric vehicles as a primary sustainability focus.
However, since then, the numbers engaging in EV trials has dropped significantly, to 13% as of August.
This decline has largely been driven by legislation, the report suggests, such as the repeal of EV mandates and new English language proficiency requirements for drivers.
The Sustainability in Logistics Report 2025 research sourced information from three data sources: Tech.co’s monthly Pulse tracker survey of 1,582 logistics professionals, its BenchmarkMe survey of 840 purchase-decision makers, and direct interviews with industry leaders. Read more here.
