Executive Q&A: Mark Ang of GoBolt on Solving the Industry’s Biggest Fulfillment Challenges

As brands face growing pressure to deliver faster, cheaper, and more sustainably, the logistics sector is entering a pivotal period of transformation. From evolving tariff regulations to rising delivery expectations and increasingly complex returns, the decisions brands make today about their supply chain partners will define their ability to compete tomorrow.

GoBolt, a tech-enabled 3PL and last-mile logistics provider, recently released its 2025 State of Logistics Report—a data-rich look at the key challenges and priorities shaping the year ahead for retail and DTC brands. The report draws on insights from hundreds of supply chain leaders and outlines clear action steps around cost reduction, carrier diversification, transparency, and sustainability.

To better understand the motivations behind the report—and what the findings say about where the industry is headed—we sat down with GoBolt CEO and Co-Founder Mark Ang. In this Executive Q&A, Ang reflects on the logistics pain points that first inspired GoBolt, what surprised him most in this year’s survey results, and how his team is preparing for the next wave of disruption.

Mark Ang, Co-Founder and CEO of GoBolt.

Q: For those who may not be familiar with GoBolt yet, can you share a bit about your company’s origin story and what problem you set out to solve in the logistics world?

GoBolt has always existed to solve a problem. When my cofounder and I first launched Second Closet, a B2C storage service, we quickly ran into the pain points of relying on third-party logistics to handle our deliveries. The lack of visibility, control, and reliability was costing us time and creating a really poor customer experience.

Rather than accept that as the norm, we decided to build our own logistics software and bring the process in-house. That decision and developing the tools to simplify a complex and error-prone system became the foundation for what GoBolt is today.

As the business evolved from B2C to a full B2B logistics company, the focus didn’t change. We’re still working to simplify logistics, just at a much larger scale.

That’s also why we put together this Report. We wanted to bring clarity to some of the biggest issues brands are facing in logistics right now and offer a data-driven starting point for solving them.

Q: What inspired you personally to enter this industry, and how has your vision for GoBolt evolved as the supply chain landscape continues to change?

I’ve always been drawn to building things. I started out working with my dad in real estate development and running a few businesses of my own. That’s where I first ran into the headaches of logistics, like late deliveries, lack of visibility, and no real accountability. It didn’t make sense to me that something so critical to the customer experience was so broken behind the scenes.

When we launched Second Closet in university, the same problems showed up again. Our third-party logistics provider couldn’t keep up, so we brought operations in-house and built the tools ourselves. That hands-on approach gave us full control, and it worked.

As GoBolt evolved, the vision stayed pretty consistent: simplify logistics, use tech to solve real problems, make sure brands don’t have to settle for outdated systems, and do it all with sustainability at our core. The industry keeps changing, but those basics still drive everything we do.

Q: You’re releasing a major report on the state of the logistics industry next week. What motivated your team to compile this data—and who do you hope reads it?

We didn’t want to just rely on anecdotal feedback. We wanted a real pulse check from the people inside the industry: brands, operations leaders, and supply chain decision-makers. There’s a lot of noise out there, especially with recent policy changes, and we wanted to cut through it with actual data.

The goal is for brands and retailers to read it and reflect on whether their current strategies and 3PL partners are built to handle what’s coming next.

Q: Without giving too much away, can you share one or two surprising insights from the report that stood out to you or challenged your own assumptions?

One that stood out: 65% of brands said reducing shipping costs was the top benefit of diversifying carriers. I expected reliability or speed to rank higher. It tells me cost pressure is hitting harder than people think, and brands are looking for control levers they haven’t pulled yet.

Another point was how many brands (more than half) called out returns management as a top value-added service from their 3PL. Returns usually come up late in the conversation, almost as an afterthought. But the data makes it clear: returns need to be front and center. If brands are dealing with high return volumes or friction in that process, it’s not just a customer service issue, it’s a logistics problem, and it should be part of their first conversation with any 3PL.

Q: Is there a trend in the report that you believe most logistics professionals are underestimating right now?

The demand for transparency in last-mile performance. 77% of brands say performance and cost reporting are critical, yet most logistics providers aren’t offering that level of insight. That disconnect is going to become more apparent and more painful for brands relying on outdated systems.

Q: How does the data in this report inform how GoBolt is planning for the next 12–24 months?

The data reinforces that it’s not just about having tech, it’s about building tech that actually delivers outcomes: lower costs, better adherence to SLAs, and more visibility. That’s where we’re focused. We’ve built our systems to give brands more control, more insight, and the ability to adapt quickly.

Carrier diversification is a big one, too. Brands are telling us that cost control and carrier performance monitoring are their top challenges when trying to diversify. That’s exactly where our system is built to help. We’ve invested in strong carrier partnerships and the tools to manage them intelligently, so brands can make decisions based on performance and cost, not guesswork.

We’re not scrambling to react to these insights as we’ve already been building for them. We always believed we were building for the future, and this report has reinforced that belief.

Q: We’re seeing major shifts in consumer expectations around speed, sustainability, and transparency. How is the logistics sector keeping up—and where is it falling short?

There’s been progress, but not fast enough. Speed is table stakes now. Sustainability is gaining traction, but it’s mostly surface-level – offsets instead of operational changes. And transparency? Still lagging. Too many brands are flying blind once the package leaves the warehouse.

Q: Sustainability is one of GoBolt’s big differentiators. What are the real, on-the-ground steps a logistics company can take to reduce emissions while still staying cost-competitive?

Fleet electrification is a big part of it, and it’s something we invested in early. We were one of the first movers in this space, and getting it right took a lot of trial and error. But the payoff has been rewarding.

That said, sustainability isn’t just about switching vehicles. It’s about how you plan routes, where you place inventory, and how dense your delivery zones are. Route optimization isn’t just a sustainability tool, it drives down fuel use and shipping costs at the same time. The tech is there. The challenge is building the operational discipline to support it.

Q: Technology like AI, automation, and predictive analytics are changing how logistics companies operate. What do you think is hype—and what’s here to stay?

Technology that improves communication and visibility between brands, their 3PLs and their customers, that’s here to stay. When brands can actually see what’s happening in real time – where their inventory is, what’s driving delays, how performance is trending – that transparency leads to faster decisions and fewer surprises. That’s where AI, automation and real-time analytics make a real impact.

What won’t last is tech and AI that looks impressive but doesn’t do much – dashboards that don’t tie to ops, or tools that generate more noise than clarity. If it doesn’t reduce cost, increase speed, or improve accuracy, it’s just hype.

Q: Is there a part of the traditional logistics process that’s overdue for disruption—and what’s stopping it from changing faster?

Transparency into performance and costs.

Too many brands still operate in the dark when it comes to what’s actually happening inside their 3PL’s network – how inventory is flowing, where delays are happening, what carrier performance looks like, and further, how much they’re spending. That lack of visibility slows everything down and can contribute to brands losing a grip on their P&L.

It’s one of the things we set out to solve with our Merchant Portal. We built it to give brands real-time access to the backend of their logistics: orders, SLAs, inventory and carrier data, and taking it one step further by tying it to costs.

What’s stopping the rest of the industry? Legacy systems, siloed data, and frankly, a lack of wanting to be transparent. But brands are asking harder questions now. The 3PLs who move fastest on transparency and accountability are going to win. 3PLs are scared to provide insights that may spark hard conversations, but that’s the wrong way to approach a partnership with a brand.

Q: With all the tech innovation, it’s easy to forget that logistics is still a people-driven business. What do you think companies should be doing to support and upskill their workforce in this next chapter?

We’re big on ideas over hierarchy. If someone on the floor has a better way to do something, we want to hear it and move on it. Supporting people means creating a culture where everyone can speak up, test fast, and not get stuck waiting for perfect. The best systems are the ones built with direct input from the people who actually use them. That’s how you move quickly and build tools that stick.

Q: How are your own team members thinking about innovation and resilience after the last few years of supply chain chaos?

Resilience is the baseline now and innovation means being proactive, not reactive. Our team is focused on building systems that can flex, whether it’s shifting a brand’s fulfillment strategy mid-peak or redistributing parcels if a carrier goes on strike. We’ve seen what happens when the supply chain breaks. No one wants to be caught flat-footed.

Q: If you could wave a magic wand and fix one thing about the logistics industry tomorrow, what would it be and why?

Standardize data structure across the supply chain. Brands, carriers, and 3PLs all operate on different systems that don’t talk to each other. That fragmentation kills efficiency and makes it harder to deliver a great customer experience.

Q: When you think about where GoBolt and the industry as a whole will be five years from now, what are you most hopeful about—and what keeps you up at night?

Hopeful: The shift toward smarter, more sustainable logistics is real and accelerating.

What keeps me up at night: complacency. This industry has a habit of defaulting to “good enough.” But good enough isn’t going to cut it anymore.