As the U.S. population ages, warehouses will need to install automated equipment that can be adapted to work with older employees, said Dr. Larry Lapide of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Center for Transportation and Logistics. In addition to changes inside the warehouse, trucks will have to be adapted to accommodate older drivers.

Lapide kicked off the NA2010 Material Handling and Logistics Show's new Supply Chain Summit with an address on the "Outlook on Supply Chain 2020." During the session, Lapide outlined five key trends facing the supply chain. The one with perhaps the biggest repercussions for the distribution center is the aging of the workforce, Lapide said.