Interesting Facts About The Logistics Industry 

When we receive a package, we often don’t think about the time, effort and careful planning it took just to get it to our door. Often an invisible part of our society, the logistics industry silently makes same day shipping and other phenomena happen every day.  

Logistics isn’t a new or modern concept. Since ancient times, countries have relied on this industry to keep a steady flow of supply, whether that is food and water or military equipment. Today, our world depends on this industry more than ever as ecommerce grows. 

Because of this, we want to put a spotlight on the logistics industry. Here are some interesting facts and statistics about this essential part of our economy! 

How The Logistics Industry Got Its Name 

Scour the pages of history, and you might find yourself confused about the true origin of the word logistics. There is a debate about when and where the word originated. The most common theory is that it originated in France. This is because the first record of its use was in 1846 in “The Art of War” by Antoine-Henri Jomini, a Napoleon-era French army general [1].

However, you might also read that the word originates directly from the Greek language. Some believe the Roman army coined the phrase, where the officers in charge of supplying the legions were known by the Greek word “logistikas.” Others believe it came from the mathematical term “logistikos.”

A Snapshot of the Logistics Industry

It’s no secret that the logistics industry is essential to our economy, but just how significant is it? According to Freightwaves, the logistics industry makes up 12% of our global economy’s GDP [4]. the In 2015, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a total of 4.8 million U.S. workers – this doesn’t even include post office workers [2]! Let’s look at more logistic statistics together. 

The Logistics Industry and a Barcode Milestone 

You might already know about barcode milestones in the retail space, but did you know that labeling railcars was also an early barcode use? In 1961, a Maine railroad wanted to find a way to keep tabs on each of their railcars. Wanting an automated way to do so, the railroad tested a type of barcode system that used blue and orange reflective strips on their railcars, each having a unique number and barcode. These were recorded using rail side scanners [3].

National Logistics Day 

For those of you who work in logistics, June 28 is a day just for you! 2022 marks the fourth annual National Logistics Day. This is the day that we share our appreciation for the work you do! Your role is essential to our economy and only grows in importance by the day. 

Thanks for Reading!

We hope you learning about the logistics industry! While we like to dabble in history now and again, AB&R is driven by wanting to make you better, today and for the future. If you have any questions, please give us a call or fill out our form below! 

References

[1] https://web.archive.org/web/20190309153711/http://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/fb9f/f927aa0472a4df2635b8b221c4c67d567046.pdf 

[2] https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/transportation-and-warehousing.htm 

[3] https://web.archive.org/web/20161016084435/http://www.bar-code.com/upc/bar_code_history.php 

[4] https://www.freightwaves.com/news/how-big-is-the-logistics-industry