Logistics
offers door-to-door (DTD) services, mostly coupled with just-in-time (JIT) strategies. Other
modes cannot satisfy the requirements such a situation creates as effectively. This leads to a
vicious circle (Figure 2). The more physical distribution through logistics is efficient, the
less production, distribution and retailing activities are constrained by distance. In turn, this
structure involves a higher usage of logistics and more ton-km of freight transported. There
is overwhelming evidence for an increase in truck traffic and a growth in the average length
of haul (Cooper et al 1998), and although McKinnon (1998) has suggested that JIT is not
greatly increasing road freight volumes (italics added), it cannot be considered a green
solution. The more DTD and JIT strategies are applied, the further the negative
environmental consequences of the traffic it creates.