Logistic Changes to Production and some Impacts on Transportation and Materials Handling

There is presently a trend to "internalize" external transport links within the framework of large production system networks. This is made possible by the rapidly increasing capability to swiftly exchange huge masses of data within such networks and the availability of a deregulated transport sector, where the highly competitive trucking industry sets the rules. The result is new forms of logistics systems, designed to meet a set of service requirements which go beyond low cost. The impact of such systems on the evolution of material handling technologies is discussed. Details of one operational Just in Time system and one hypothetical JIT transport system connecting two production plants with particularly unmanned operations are included for the purpose of illustration.