TORONTO, Ont. — Self-guided transport vehicles and the reverse of globalization by 2030? Those were some of the possibilities considered by transportation and logistics executives in a recent global survey.

That was the question PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) posed to transportation company executives during a recent global survey, Transportation and Logistics 2030.

“While respondents to the survey strongly disagreed with a statement that the price of oil will reach US$1,000 per barrel, it does raise some thought provoking questions about how the scarcity of oil will impact this sector,” said Todd Thornton, of PwC’s Transportation and Logistics practice.

More than half of respondents said they’re confident alternative energy will account for up to 80% of their overall energy mix by 2030. Nearly 70% of respondents predicted that by 2030, all emissions will be tracked along the entire supply chain and factored into the price of a product.

“Increased awareness of consumers about sustainability will alter behaviour and in turn, global supply chains,” said Thornton. “Transport and logistics companies, driven by new regulations, will begin to face challenges in tracking, evaluating and documenting all emissions in order to measure the full environmental impact of their activities. When they do, these emissions will be factored into the price of products and could make doing business with these companies more expensive.”

Respondents felt oil prices will be kept in check thanks to the development of alternative energy sources coupled with the fact competition from new energy sources will force OPEC to increase oil production, keeping oil prices from ballooning to $1,000 per barrel.

However, respondents also agreed that a massive hike in oil prices would have serious ramifications for the transportation industry. If oil reached $1,000 per barrel, respondents felt regionalization of supply chains and relocation of production sites would result, perhaps putting an end to global sourcing and transportation.

About 60% of respondents felt their home and work environments will become more integrated and the same percentage felt consumers will favour locally-produced products in 2030. However, they stopped short of predicting a complete reversal of globalization by 2030.

Respondents also agreed that more flexible and efficient usage of transport modes will emerge, including the use of autonomous and self-controlled systems and auto-guided vehicles that will revolutionize freight transportation.

To obtain a copy of the Transportation and Logistics 2030 study, visit www.tl2030.com.