Let us assume that you are the manager of your company's regional distribution
center (RDC) for the eastern United States, located in Atlanta,
Georgia. Your company regularly receives shipments of goods from a
supplier that is headquartered in Asia, but also operates its own U.S.
distribution center in Oakland, California, taking advantage of the large
amount of ocean-going freight traffic from Asia to the west coast of the
United States. Since your company moves a significant amount of freight
on the Oakland-Atlanta ''lane," your company has, in its price negotiations
with the supplier, agreed to assume responsibility for hiring the
carrier that will move the goods from Oakland to your RDC in Atlanta.