More transport & storage companies are pouring money into AI – but where is that investment going?

April 30, 2026 - PRLog -- The home delivery expert Parcelhero says the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by UK transport & storage companies has mushroomed in the first quarter of 2026. There has been an 11 percentage point increase in the number of companies in the sector using AI in their business and that number is set to grow in the next few months.

An Office for National Statistics (ONS) Business Insights survey – held during March and released this month – questioned transport & storage sector businesses about their current and planned use of AI. The answers reveal a rapid transformation in how the sector regards the technology, says Parcelhero.

Parcelhero's Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks M.I.L.T., says: 'The number of transport & storage firms now reporting they are making use of AI is still surprisingly small – 72.9% admit they are not yet using it. However, there has been a sharp jump in uptake since last December, when a frankly shocking 83.9% of transport & storage firms said they weren't using the technology.

'The data gives a fascinating insight into the areas transport & storage businesses are focusing their AI use on, what impact they think it will have on their business, and where they see their AI investment focusing in the future.

'29.8% of those transport & storage sector companies who have adopted AI say they are using it to improve business operations, 15.7% are using it to provide or personalise products or services and 10.2% to explore new markets.

Contrary to recent headlines from some industry sectors, it does not look as if the increased use of AI in the transport & storage industry will lead to a reduced headcount. In all, 31.3% of companies now adopting AI said there would be no change in workforce numbers and the number of companies reporting that it would definitely reduce their headcount was so small it did not register in the figures.

'Many more transport & storage sector companies are planning to adopt AI technologies in the next three months. 20.6% plan to use it to improve their business operations, 12% plan to adopt it to develop a new product or service and 10.3% to provide products or services for their customers.

'The survey comes after Parcelhero's own adoption of new AI features this year. Parcelhero's new AI-powered tracking technology delivers accuracy and speed. Additionally, Parcelhero's new AI-powered chatbot provides instant responses to common queries, helping customers resolve most issues within seconds.

To find out more about Parcelhero's new AI-powered business services, see https://www.parcelhero.com/business