Logistics and supply chain management are not just essential for your business — they can also be intriguing and enjoyable to learn about. Test your knowledge with these 11 fun and surprising facts about logistics.
- The term “logistics” originates from the 19th-century French word “logistique,” which was initially used exclusively for transporting soldiers and military supplies. It wasn’t until later that it was applied to civilian operations.
- The logistics industry is massive. In the U.S. alone, over 9 million people depend on the logistics sector as their primary source of income.
- U.S. businesses spend heavily on shipping. Each year, companies allocate about $1.5 trillion to logistical expenses, equating to nearly 8% of the entire U.S. GDP.
- The U.S. has 15.5 million trucks, but only 3.5 million qualified truck drivers. These drivers are responsible for transporting more than 70% of the country’s total freight.
- Despite the large workforce, job opportunities in logistics continue to grow, with 300,000 new logistics-related jobs created annually.
- Women are increasingly represented in long-haul trucking. Over 200,000 women in the U.S. drive big rigs professionally, and that number is steadily rising as more women enter the industry.
- Modern trucks are significantly more eco-friendly than older models. In fact, it takes more than 60 current big rigs with super-clean diesel technology to match the emissions of a single truck manufactured before 1988.
- Barcodes, now ubiquitous on products, first appeared in U.S. supermarkets in 1974. Originally, barcodes were designed to track railway cars as they moved across the country.
- Supply Chain Management (SCM) is a crucial aspect of modern business, but Henry Ford is widely credited as one of the first to implement SCM. He designed his factories to streamline inventory and shipping processes.
- The most commonly shipped goods in the U.S. are food, furniture, electronics, and clothing, which account for the bulk of shipping companies’ income.
- Air freight is more popular than sea freight. While 9.5 billion tons of trade goods are shipped by sea annually, over 42 billion tons of goods are transported by air, making it the dominant mode of freight transport.
These facts highlight how integral logistics is to the global economy while offering some unexpected insights into the industry.
