Source: adapted from Hesse, M. and J-P Rodrigue (2004) “The Transport Geography of Logistics and Freight Distribution”, Journal of Transport Geography, Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 171-184.
Contemporary supply chain freight flows tend to be of lower volumes, of higher frequency, often taking place over longer distances (outsourcing and offshoring). These flows have been associated with a modal adaptation, namely through containerization. The extent of these changes can be characterized by the growth of geographical areas of interaction, and by the temporal flexibility of freight flows, both resulting in a rising amount of freight transport. The distribution center thus becomes the core component of such a distribution system as it regulates the flows of closer interaction between production and consumption.