Impact of Transportation History in Modern Logistics

Impact of Transportation History in Modern Logistics
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Impact of Transportation History in Modern Logistics
Introduction
The combination of the local supply for food, forage alongside self-containment as pertains to goods and services in ancient history provided the basis for logistics operations under the control of forces of moderate sizes. Some of the familiar operations entail Alexander the Great's campaign from Macedonia to the Indus and Hannibal's campaign in Italy. Further, the larger armies of the ancient days, such as the Persian invaders from Greece in 480 BCE, were always supplied by depots alongside magazines within the battlefield (Lynn, 2019). Interestingly, the Roman legion used all the three supply methods interchangeably in a marvelously flexible system. The legion's strength to march fast and far was attributable to superb roads and an efficient supply chain that was superbly organized. The supply chain included engineers, shops for mobile repair, armorers, and artificers alongside the technicians. In their case, the requisition for supplies was obtained from authorities, and storage made I fortified deports. In this case, the various forms of labor and animals were registered as required. Depending on the existing conditions, the legions always carried in its train and, at times, on the backs of soldiers' supplies that could last for 30 days (Rutner et al., 2012).
The Mongol cavalry armies of the 13th century were identified as the most efficient logistic system ever to exist. This is since the process was characterized by austerity, discipline, adequate planning alongside the organization. While approaching their moves, the Mongol armies could split themselves into several corps capable of widely spreading over the region. Such division was accompanied by trains of baggage carts, pack animals as well as herds of cattle. The various routes alongside campsites were carefully selected to allow for accessibility to food for both animals and men (Lynn, 2019).
Great armies of the early centuries had to keep on the move to avoid starvation. The movement enabled them to support themselves without bases, especially within fertile countries. However, there was improvement within the logistic organization, reducing the size of trains and guns. The thirty years of war (1618-1648) led to the introduction of strategy as a key element of logistics (Lynn, 2019). In this case, the armies exploited water transportation economies with operations taking place along rich food-producing regions. Afterward, the European nature of warfare adopted a more sluggish and formal means that included limited objectives alongside elaborate logistics that sacrificed range and mobility. The enhanced strategic value that characterized the conquest of cities in the 18th century brought about two logistic innovations. First, the strategically located magazine with a pre-stocked depot supported an army that was operating a siege. Secondly, the smaller version of the rolling magazine carried a few days of supply for the marching army. The process was also characterized by secure communication lines that enable easy deployment of armies for protection purposes. However, the transport system was always overburdened by the increasing size of armies alongside their artillery and baggage trains (Rutner et al., 2012). Relatively various logistic innovations characterized the Napoleon era. In this case, some of the services that belonged to contractors and civilian personnel, were militarized. However, the supply services were operated by civilians though under heavy military control. This was followed by establishing a fully militarized train service that operated partly over the communication line (Lynn, 2019).
Logistics in the Industrial era
The methodology as applicable in logistics underwent a great deal of transformation between the mid-19th and the mid-20th centuries. There was a fundamental change in the nature of tools alongside organization in wars. The revolution was characterized by various changes such as mobilization of mass cavalries, the revolution within weapon technology, economic revolution through transportation and feeding of massive armies, and management revolution alongside organization techniques. Such revolutions enabled effective operations of the military in comparison to previous regimes. By the mid-19th century, the Industrial Revolution's aspect guaranteed massive production of food, transport, and munitions amongst other necessities in quantities larger than before. This was done, especially by Great Britain, the United States, and France (Tang & Veelenturf, 2019).
Transportation and Communication
The use of the railroad, the telegraph, and the steamship greatly influenced logistics during the latest years of the 19th century. Telecommunications became a major tool of intelligence and command that necessitated operational coordination, particularly rail traffic control. This was followed by various electronic communication forms in the 20th century that made the process more efficient, such as radar, telephone, and high-speed computer (Grabara et al., 2014). The powered vehicles became the complement to the railroad; they could travel on ordinary grounds within the regions of army operations. Such improvement made motor transport to be the preferred means of transport within the army operating zones. There was also the innovation of the pipeline during World War I and II that helped in the movement of oil and gasoline to storage points located within combat zones. Later, the development of air transportation become more revolutionary during World War II. In this case, the cargo aircraft were used for lifting loads of goods, especially providing means for emergency movement in cases where speed was necessary (Ohl, 2020).
This perspective shows that the military incorporated the aspect of supply, movement, and zoning of troops within the recommended set. However, the occurrence of recession in America during the 1950s necessitated the concept of circulation of goods. Afterward, the circulation was seen as an integral part of the current production process. However, the concept of business logistics became a key element of logistics that defined the trade-off between transport and the various inventory costs as recognized in economics within the 19th century. The process of developing logistics appears through four periods when considered from the American experience perspective. Before the 1950s, the logistics were not considered active since the managers were more concerned with the production. This era was characterized by the application of new administrative business ideas (Ohl, 2020).
The rise in oil prices in the early 1970s led to the expansion of logistics services. The slow growth experienced within markets and inflation pressures, transportation, and intense competition within the third world concerning products alongside materials. This aspect became a significant part of the logistics system since it involves planning and intense business. While in the 21st century, logistics were characterized by logistics alliance, Third Party Logistics (TPL) as well as global logistics. Notably, logistics circulation presents a key business activity that entails sustaining a level of competitiveness. The coming together of international industries could help in the saving of costs (Ohl, 2020).
The interrelationship between Transportation and modern logistics
The well developed and extensive transport system developed over the centuries provides a key element that ensures the maximization of logistics advantages. The presence of a good transport system provides efficiency in logistics, reduces operating costs, and promotes quality of services. However, such adjustments within the transportation system require maximum support from both the public and private sectors. Such a high-level efficiency with logistics systems increases competitiveness within government enterprises (Allen et al., 2012).
Transportation provides one of the expansive global industry that ensures the movement of products alongside raw materials from one point to another. The process consists of the supply chain and the aspect of shipping end-products to consumers. Transportation acts as the link to various separate components within the logistic chain. The whole process of transportation demands adequate management that ensures strong communication across various chain components. The nature of transportation management determines the supply chain's success (Bensassi et al., 2015).