July 28, 2025

The road freight transport sector, particularly the trucking industry, is an irreplaceable pillar in Chile’s logistics chain, acting as the vital connector between production centers, exporting/importing companies, and port services. Far from being isolated actors, these three components form a virtuous dynamic — a fundamental triad that drives the country’s foreign trade and generates significant economic impact.

Trucks are responsible for moving the vast majority of goods from producing, exporting, and importing companies, which generate the demand for transportation to and from Chilean ports — whether these are containers with export products like fruit, copper, or salmon, or imported goods that supply the domestic market. Their flexibility and ability to reach every corner of the country make them an essential land-based link.

Regarding the current state of Chile’s logistics chain, Wilfredo Yushimito, professor at the Faculty of Engineering and Sciences of Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez (UAI), explains that “Chile holds a consolidated logistics position in the Latin American context. National ports (San Antonio and Valparaíso) stand out, handling a high volume of foreign trade. Likewise, road transport (trucks) accounts for 90% of domestic cargo movement in the country, highlighting its dependency on the road system.”

Regarding logistics systems, there are large and medium-sized players. The large ones have a strong presence in ports, mainly related to exports, while at the domestic level, the actors are primarily medium and small-sized companies.”
On areas needing improvement, he notes that there are indeed issues such as “for example, road infrastructure, including port access, the lack of connection between logistics actors, low technological interoperability, and weak resilience in the face of crises or disasters. The fragmentation of the freight system is also an important issue at the domestic level, as it mainly involves small transporters with technological limitations.”
Yushimito adds that “among the main weaknesses, one could say that the current cargo volume may render certain infrastructure inadequate, especially in access to urban areas. Also, the low level of digitalization, as many operations still rely on paper or manual coordination. Furthermore, the lack of intermodal planning means that rail and domestic maritime transport (cabotage) are underutilized.”

Regarding weaknesses in infrastructure accessing urban zones, the wear and tear of some roads, especially secondary and rural ones, results from poor coordination, and the high informality and fragmentation of the sector. The latter, in particular, affects technology adoption.”
He has no doubt that “a more efficient logistics chain directly improves competitiveness, whether through cost and/or time reductions. It also reduces emissions and environmental costs, which is why it has a significant social impact. Moreover, it makes foreign investment more attractive.”

AI Potential
Finally, the UAI professor is confident that “AI (artificial intelligence) has enormous potential in the logistics chain to automate operations and improve the planning and routing of operations, especially by reducing empty trips, optimizing routes, reducing waiting times, or facilitating collaboration between companies or operators (for example, sharing routes).”