LOGISTICS
Logistics is the process of planning, implementing and controlling the flow of goods
and services from the point of origin to the point of use. It refers to the practical issues
surrounding transportation, warehousing and stock management.
Thanks to an efficient distribution industry, there is now less physical waste and less
amount of capital tied up in stock. Also transport time and cost have been reduced.
DHL provides express mail services and is a market leader in sea and air mail.
It was founded in the 1960s by three friends, whose initial create the company’s
name. their idea was to transport Bills of Lading from San Francisco to Hawaii via air.
In this way, they arrived before the cargo ships.
The company expanded their services to many other countries and became an
important international delivery company.
In 2002, DHL became part of the Express division of Deutsche Post.
TRANSPORT
Modern economic systems are dependent on the fast, safe and cost-efficient
movement of goods, services and people.
Large companies normally have their own distribution departments and transport.
Medium-sized and smaller firms may use shipping or forwarding agents who take care
of packing, insuring and importing/exporting the goods.
Many factors need to be considered before choosing an appropriate mode of transport:
The size, weight and quality of the goods;
The urgency;
The distance;
The cost.
Other important factors may be insurance costs and packaging. Goods packed in
containers can be transferred easily from any mode of transport. This form of
transport is known as intermodal carriage.
Most transports within EU are by road; railway and inland waterways now account for
much less than before.
The growth of transport has led to increasing the level of pollution. The EU is now
encouraging more people to travel by public transport and urging transport firms to
move goods onto trains or ships.
The most frequent form of land transport is transport by road. Its main advantage is
flexibility because it doesn’t have a timetable and can offer a door-to-door service. It is
usually cheaper and faster than other methods and can reach places that others can’t.
A negative aspect is that roads are often very congested due to heavy traffic.
Pipelines are used for the transport of oil, gas, petrochemicals and even some solids,
but they are very expensive to build.
Railways are still useful for moving bulk freight over long distances. They’re often used
to transport urgently required or dangerous items.
The main document used in transport by road or rail is the consignment note. It acts
as a receipt for the goods and also as proof that there is a contract of carriage.
There are two main types of transport by water: inland waterways and sea transport.
The second one is the most important form of transport in international trade. It is a
very effective method of moving large quantities of non-perishable goods.
