What does 'behind the curve' mean?
Definition
Meaning: Behind the curve refers to being slower to react or adapt than others in a particular field or situation—commonly used in transportation to describe companies or technologies that are not keeping up with industry advancements.
La signification : Behind the curve désigne le fait d'être plus lent à réagir ou à s'adapter que les autres dans un domaine particulier, comme dans le transport où certaines entreprises n'adoptent pas les nouvelles technologies.
Example: The trucking company was behind the curve in adopting electric vehicles, losing contracts to more eco-conscious competitors.
Quote: "Many traditional logistics providers are behind the curve when it comes to implementing AI-driven route optimization." [Forbes]
N.B.: This term emphasises the competitive disadvantage of not keeping pace with industry trends, particularly in areas like fleet technology or sustainability initiatives.
Word Analysis
Français
»» À la traîne
»» En retard
»» Pas à la page
»» En décalage
Les transporteurs à la traîne technologique perdent des parts de marché.
Être en retard sur les normes écologiques peut coûter cher.
English
»» Lagging behind
»» Slow to adapt
»» Not keeping up
»» Out of step
Their logistics software put them behind the curve compared to competitors.
Failing to track shipments in real-time leaves fleets behind the curve.
Dialogue
Fleet Owner: "Why are we losing clients to new startups?"
Operations Manager: "We're behind the curve—they're using AI for dynamic routing while we still rely on paper logs."
Owner: "That's unacceptable. How do we catch up?"
Manager: "Invest in telematics now, or we'll stay behind the curve permanently."
Etymology
Origin: Likely derived from statistical/bell curves, where being behind indicates subpar performance. Gained popularity in business contexts during the 1980s.
Modern Usage: Common in transportation to describe companies slow to adopt innovations like electric fleets, automation, or real-time tracking.
Grammar Note: Prepositional phrase typically used after "fall" or "be" (e.g., "We fell behind the curve").
Audience
Essential for fleet managers, logistics directors, and transportation executives assessing competitive positioning and technology adoption.
When to use: Use behind the curve when discussing technological lag, regulatory compliance delays, or missed industry shifts. Example: "Our fuel efficiency standards put us behind the curve compared to European carriers."
Extra! Extra!
For a visoral exploration of behind the curve, check out the following videos:
'Behind the curve' in context
Behind ↔ Ahead of the curve
Wordreference
For more on our word of the day and its usage, visit WordReference for definitions, translations, and examples in context.
Here are some quick links for further exploration:
» English⇄English – Discuss and learn about words and their usage.
» English⇄French – Explore translations and linguistic nuances.
» Synonyms⇄Antonyms – Contextual variations, etc.
Common Expressions & Collocations
Lagging behind
Failing to keep pace with competitors or industry standards.
Example: "Our telematics system shows we're lagging behind in fuel efficiency."
Slow to adapt
Reluctant or delayed in adopting new technologies/methods.
Example: "Being slow to adapt to electric vehicles hurt our market share."
Playing catch-up
Trying to reach the level of competitors who are ahead.
Example: "After years without updates, we're now playing catch-up with automation."
Out of step
Not aligned with current industry practices or trends.
Example: "Our manual scheduling leaves us out of step with modern logistics."
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