Matli.org
Title
Mid-Atlantic Transportation and Logistics Institute
Description
At the most basic level, transportation, distribution and logistic are the terms used to describe all of the functions involved in the movement of an item from the place where it was made or grown to the place where it is used or consumed. A fourth term often associated with the three, warehousing, refers to the storage of good at a point or points along the way. When products are at rest, cost is added. When products are in motion, value is added.
The transportation Distribution Logistics Industry was built upon these simple concepts. Launched during the Industrial Revolution when surplus goods first required storage, the industry is experiencing yet another revolution based on new concepts of production, custom-assembly, strategic partnering and maximizing consumer value. The focus has shifted from the storage of goods to the movement of goods. Moreover, advanced information technology and sophisticated telecommunications networks have led to the globalization of markets and made transportation and logistics the deciding factor in the war for competitive advantage.
In addition to major shifts in customer requirements and global markets forces, the TDL Industry also finds itself at the intersection of massive changes taking place in the manufacturing and information/telecommunications industries. Such major shifts hold tremendous implications for the nature and structure of work within the industry, as well as the skill requirements of the workers who fuel this growing segment of the Maryland and national economy.
