The share of UK transport and storage firms using artificial intelligence rose from 16% to 27% in the first three months of 2026, the fastest quarterly surge recorded for the sector, according to a new industry report from Parcelhero.
The figures come from Putting the AI into Supply ChAIns, a whitepaper authored by David Jinks M.I.L.T., Parcelhero's head of consumer research, drawing on ONS data, Deloitte's 2026 Retail Industry Global Outlook, and McKinsey analysis of warehouse deployment.
Jinks says the speed of change is the story. A surge from 16% to 27% in a single quarter outpaces most prior forecasts and, with more than 20% of remaining firms planning AI adoption before the end of Q2, the first wave is still building.
The operational numbers are concrete: AI-driven route optimisation is delivering a 10% reduction in delivery costs and a 15% improvement in on-time rates across early adopters. Last-mile deployment — historically the costliest leg, accounting for over 53% of total shipping cost — has grown 39% year on year, with intelligent systems now able to forecast shipment volumes for specific facilities at up to 95% accuracy, enabling networks to pre-position inventory ahead of demand.
Warehousing follows a similar pattern. McKinsey reports that 56% of businesses have already integrated AI into at least one operational function, with autonomous mobile robots replacing fixed-route systems and predictive maintenance reducing downtime costs.
At sea, the pace is arguably more striking. The maritime AI market was valued at £4.13 billion in 2024 and is growing at a compound annual rate of 23%. The Yara Birkeland, the world's first fully electric autonomous container vessel, has completed more than 250 commercial voyages since launch, replacing 40,000 diesel truck journeys annually on a single Norwegian route.
The report is careful not to overstate the case for preparedness. Only 16% of logistics and supply chain organisations say they are unlikely to adopt AI within five years, but Jinks points to a readiness gap rooted in legacy infrastructure — batch-processed data and manual workflows that are incompatible with the real-time data flows modern AI systems require. The technology is not the constraint; the foundations beneath it often are.
On workforce impact, the report draws on ONS figures showing that 31% of AI-adopting transport and storage firms reported no headcount change, while the number reporting definite job cuts was statistically negligible. The reskilling question, not redundancy, is the issue the industry needs to address.
"Globally, around 40% of supply chain organisations are now investing in generative AI," Jinks says. "Deloitte's data shows that 41% of retailers plan to deploy it within twelve months, specifically to improve supply chain visibility. The early movers are gaining measurable advantages that will make it very hard for slower adopters to close the gap."
To stay across the latest in cloud, AI and enterprise tech analysis from Compare the Cloud, subscribe to our weekly newsletter at https://www.comparethecloud.net/newsletter
