1.6 Types of Logistics

We have learned about the basic concepts of logistics, how logistics supports supply chain management, and how it affects the economy. However, you need to understand that not all logistics activities are the same. This book focuses on business logistics, which deals with the movement and storage of freight between organizations and to the end customer. This fits in business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) settings. Many of the key logistics principles we discuss are as applicable in the other settings described in Table 1.2. Because of its increasing importance and visibility, humanitarian logistics is discussed in more depth in Topic 15.

Figure 1.8: Logistics isn’t just for freight. Logistics makes our lives better in many ways.
Table 1.2
Different Types of Logistics
Type Description Examples
Event Logistics The resources (facilities, people, and infrastructures) used to organize, deliver and execute an event from initial schedule through teardown and clean up.
  • Oktober Fest in Munich, Germany
  • Chinese New Year in Beijing, China
  • Summer Olympic Games
Passenger Logistics Moving people
  • Scheduled or private airplane flights, bus rides, highway travel
Military Logistics Moving groups of people and supplies, setting up camps, replenishing supplies and people, breaking camp down again and moving it out.
  • Australia’s regional assistance mission to the Solomon Islands to help provide security.
Service Logistics All the people, facilities and supplies in place to effectively deliver services to customers.
  • Hair salon
  • Hospital operations
Humanitarian Logistics Planning the effective flow and storage of goods as well as the exchange of information to alleviate the suffering of people.1
  • Red Cross assistance to people of Haiti in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake.

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