JOURNAL OF TRANSPORT GEOGRAPHY ELSEVIER Journal of Transport Geography 12(2004)171-184 www.elsevier.com/locate/jtrangeo The transport geography of logistics and freight distribution Markus Hesse a.,Jean-Paul Rodrigueb Department of Earth Sciences,Urban Studies,Free University of Berlin,Malteserstr.74-100 D-12249 Berlin,Germany Department of Economics and Geography,Hofstra University,Hempstead,NY 11549,USA Abstract Goods movement and freight distribution are widely underrepresented in regional science and geographical research.This is surprising since a large body of traditional spatial theory has been developed with respect to transportation costs or to trade areas: those aspects that were originally closely connected with the exchange of goods.Growing attention is being paid in geography to related subjects,such as the emergence of global production networks,to structural changes in retail or to the commodification of modern consumption.To a certain extent,these processes depend upon the efficient transfer of information,finance and physical goods.Yet,with a few exceptions,the freight sector appears to be neglected in contemporary research.This paper provides an overview of the emerging transport geography of logistics and freight distribution.It challenges the traditional perspective where transportation is considered as a derived demand with the idea that logistical requirements underline transportation as a component of an integrated demand.The paper provides an analysis of the evolution of logistics as it pertains to the core dimensions of transport geography (flows,nodes/locations and networks).The concept of logistical friction is also introduced to illustrate the inclusion of the multidimensional notion of impedance in integrated freight transport demand. 2003 Elsevier Ltd.All rights reserved. Keywords:Logistics:Geography:Freight Transport:Physical distribution:Globalization 1.Logistics and freight transport:from derived to the science of physical distribution.Although it repre- integrated demand sents an entire system of space/time interdependencies, we believe that physical distribution has been neglected 1.1.Introduction in current geographical,urban or regional studies. Up to recently,geography did not pay much atten- The growing flows of freight have been a fundamental tion to logistics and freight transportation,as the focus component of contemporary changes in economic sys- was mainly on passengers and individual mobility issues. tems at the global,regional and local scales.The con- Textbooks on urban or general transport geography, sideration of these changes must be made within a like those edited by Hanson (1995),Taaffe et al.(1996) perspective where they are not merely quantitative,but or Hoyle and Knowles(1998),now raise more freight structural and operational.Structural changes mainly related questions than they did in earlier editions,par- involve manufacturing systems with their geography of ticularly with regard to trade and ports.The latter is production,while operational changes mainly concern probably the only logistics subject that received major freight transportation with its geography of distribution. reference from academic geography.Other core spatial As such,the fundamental question does not necessarily implications of distribution and logistics have been di- reside in the nature,origins and destinations of freight rectly addressed in geography by few authors who movements,but how this freight is moving.New modes developed an insight into wholesale activities and their of production are concomitant with new modes of dis- geographical distribution(Glasmeier,1992;McKinnon, tribution,which brings forward the realm of logistics; 1983,1988,1998:Riemers,1998:Vance,1970).Fol- lowing the nature of retailing as an originally distribu- tive activity,geographic research on retail and 'Corresponding author.Tel.:+49-30-838-70209;fax:+49-30-838- consumption is of interest in the logistics context too. 70749. However,retail geography does not pay much attention E-mail address:mhesse@zedat.fu-berlin.de (M.Hesse). to distribution changes (Marsden and Wrigley,1996), 0966-6923/S-see front matter 2003 Elsevier Ltd.All rights reserved. doi:10.1016j-jtrangeo.2003.12.004The transport geography of logistics and freight distribution Markus Hesse a,*, Jean-Paul Rodrigue b a Department of Earth Sciences, Urban Studies, Free University of Berlin, Malteserstr. 74-100 D-12249 Berlin, Germany b Department of Economics and Geography, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA Abstract Goods movement and freight distribution are widely underrepresented in regional science and geographical research. This is surprising since a large body of traditional spatial theory has been developed with respect to transportation costs or to trade areas: those aspects that were originally closely connected with the exchange of goods. Growing attention is being paid in geography to related subjects, such as the emergence of global production networks, to structural changes in retail or to the commodification of modern consumption. To a certain extent, these processes depend upon the efficient transfer of information, finance and physical goods. Yet, with a few exceptions, the freight sector appears to be neglected in contemporary research. This paper provides an overview of the emerging transport geography of logistics and freight distribution. It challenges the traditional perspective where transportation is considered as a derived demand with the idea that logistical requirements underline transportation as a component of an integrated demand. The paper provides an analysis of the evolution of logistics as it pertains to the core dimensions of transport geography (flows, nodes/locations and networks). The concept of logistical friction is also introduced to illustrate the inclusion of the multidimensional notion of impedance in integrated freight transport demand.
2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Logistics; Geography; Freight Transport; Physical distribution; Globalization 1. Logistics and freight transport: from derived to integrated demand 1.1. Introduction The growing flows of freight have been a fundamental component of contemporary changes in economic sys￾tems at the global, regional and local scales. The con￾sideration of these changes must be made within a perspective where they are not merely quantitative, but structural and operational. Structural changes mainly involve manufacturing systems with their geography of production, while operational changes mainly concern freight transportation with its geography of distribution. As such, the fundamental question does not necessarily reside in the nature, origins and destinations of freight movements, but how this freight is moving. New modes of production are concomitant with new modes of dis￾tribution, which brings forward the realm of logistics; the science of physical distribution. Although it repre￾sents an entire system of space/time interdependencies, we believe that physical distribution has been neglected in current geographical, urban or regional studies. Up to recently, geography did not pay much atten￾tion to logistics and freight transportation, as the focus was mainly on passengers and individual mobility issues. Textbooks on urban or general transport geography, like those edited by Hanson (1995), Taaffe et al. (1996) or Hoyle and Knowles (1998), now raise more freight related questions than they did in earlier editions, par￾ticularly with regard to trade and ports. The latter is probably the only logistics subject that received major reference from academic geography. Other core spatial implications of distribution and logistics have been di￾rectly addressed in geography by few authors who developed an insight into wholesale activities and their geographical distribution (Glasmeier, 1992; McKinnon, 1983, 1988, 1998; Riemers, 1998; Vance, 1970). Fol￾lowing the nature of retailing as an originally distribu￾tive activity, geographic research on retail and consumption is of interest in the logistics context too. However, retail geography does not pay much attention to distribution changes (Marsden and Wrigley, 1996), * Corresponding author. Tel.: +49-30-838-70209; fax: +49-30-838- 70749. E-mail address: mhesse@zedat.fu-berlin.de (M. Hesse). 0966-6923/$ - see front matter
2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2003.12.004 Journal of Transport Geography 12 (2004) 171–184 www.elsevier.com/locate/jtrangeo