Q&A: Pandemic and logistics

What have been the challenges?
During the panic buying phase of the crisis, the major challenge for many logistics operators and their customers was the ability restock quickly enough to keep pace with demand. Rapid action by state and territory governments in removing curfews on overnight deliveries were critical in overcoming that. The state and territory border closures and general restrictions around social distancing were another challenge that required rapid action to secure the broadest possible exemptions for freight and logistics transport activities, so that freight was not needlessly delayed at border check points. And of course, the cessation of 95% of scheduled commercial passenger flights had a massive impact on air-freight, given overwhelming bulk of it is ordinarily carried in the cargo hold of passenger planes – which suddenly meant that overnight deliveries were incredibly difficult to achieve in some parts of the country.