ABI Research finds 3PLs plan IoT and predictive maintenance

Application Binary Interface (ABI) Research published survey results showing Third-Party Logistics (3PL) providers redirected investment priorities toward condition monitoring, AI-driven planning, and automation to address rising customer demands and competitive market pressures.

The study found that 51.3% of 3PL respondents planned to invest more than $100,000 in Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for vehicle diagnostics and predictive maintenance, while 32.9% intended to allocate over $250,000 to supply chain and demand planning, and 18.5% targeted comparable investment levels for machine vision technologies.

The report described a move away from location-only visibility toward intelligence that supports decision-making; it referenced technologies such as digital twins, predictive maintenance, and advanced telematics as providing real-time insights, and it noted machine vision applications for safety, asset tracking, and operational efficiency.

The findings came from ABI Research's Supply Chain Survey 2025: 3PL Providers report, which was presented as part of the company's Freight Transportation research service and included research, data, and ABI Insights gathered from a study of global supply chain leaders.

“3PL providers are increasingly expected to deliver not just visibility, but actionable intelligence into the condition and performance of goods and assets,” said Ryan Wiggin, Principal Analyst.

“To remain competitive, 3PL providers must go beyond traditional logistics services and embrace modular, scalable automation and advanced IoT solutions,” said Ryan Wiggin, Principal Analyst. “By partnering with system integrators that specialize in flexible deployments and investing in both IT and OT cybersecurity, 3PLs can meet rising customer demands for transparency, compliance, and responsiveness.” said Ryan Wiggin, Principal Analyst.