Having just read this months T&D (page 14), am I the only person who hates the modern misuse of the word logistics? Logistics used to mean the activity of organizing the movement, equipment and accommodation of troops. Why have companies stopped calling themselves Haulage Contractors, Transport Services and the myriad of other names that we used to call companies in our industry? It seems to me that some of the smallest shabbiest and shoddiest companies in our industry use this name believing that they will present a better public image. For myself, what’s wrong with traditional names, come to that, isn’t it nicer to see a professionally hand sign written truck complete with all the horse shoes and stuff than a bland corporate motor?
Yes, I agree and there are other terms used too that are also all wrong. Like Driver debriefing.
I could’nt agree more, used to work for a company who did “specialised logistics” wtf is that all about, there was nothing special about what we did, just deliver things. think the md thought it would make us stand out from the crowd, instead it just makes you look like the rest of the sheep. haulage or transport not logistics
Do you want to be driving an AEC or an Atkinson as well?!
Languages and words meanings change. A language should be a living changing thing. Latin wasn’t and where is that now?
Industries also change and have to to survive. It’s not really viable nowadays to have hand signwritten trucks. There are plenty of good looking trucks out there. Love it or hate it you can’t call Stobarts livery bland!
Same as lorry driver or trucker!
Things change, evolve and move on or we’d all still be living in caves beating the wives over the head with a bone club!
zebadee:
Same as lorry driver or trucker!Things change, evolve and move on or we’d all still be living in caves beating the wives over the head with a bone club!
What about Lorryist 
When I ran a van, I used to have logistics in the company name, but then again, I’d done a couple of military loads, so I thought I could justify it. (Heat exchangers from Norfolk to Devonport to ship to Gib about the time that nuke sub broke down, and carpet tiles from Manchester area into the NATO building USAF Ramstein Germany in case you’re interested)
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods, information and other resources, including energy and people, between the point of origin and the point of consumption in order to meet the requirements of consumers (frequently, and originally, military organizations). Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material-handling, and packaging. Logistics is a channel of the supply chain which adds the value of time and place utility.
Hope this clears up any misunderstandings… 
Smee:
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods, information and other resources, including energy and people, between the point of origin and the point of consumption in order to meet the requirements of consumers (frequently, and originally, military organizations). Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material-handling, and packaging. Logistics is a channel of the supply chain which adds the value of time and place utility.Hope this clears up any misunderstandings…
That’s too much for my poor little Truckster brain to handle 
Definition courtesy of Wikipedia…
we,ve just gone from bulmers logistics to bulmer transport.oh yeah different reason tounge in cheek chaps 
Whats wrong with LOGISTICS being used are we
liveing still in the age of the steam engined transporter
for road traffic,No we are trying to show people that
we are Professionals , Me I am a INTERNATIONAL
LOGISTICS OPERATOR; I move goods what/where ever they
are ,except for live animals that includes humans.
Pretentiousness and pomposity are also words in common usage in the English language. I myself am a truck driver (with all that this entails) and proud of it. To my mind trucks are still powered by a serious of small explosions which are controlled by a human (in most cases) driver. I have nothing against the evolution of language, which for the most part, from my point of view anyway, sometimes happens due to laziness and illiteracy. I basically tried to highlight unnecessary usage of the wrong words in the wrong place according to literary agents, which for me are particularly irritating. As I have already mentioned logistics, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, used to mean; the activity of organizing the movement, equipment and accommodation of troops. Of that there can be no debate, it’s a FACT. As a boss of mine once said, “there are drivers and there are screwdrivers”.
bazfrombenidorm:
Pretentiousness and pomposity are also words in common usage in the English language. I myself am a truck driver (with all that this entails) and proud of it. To my mind trucks are still powered by a serious of small explosions which are controlled by a human (in most cases) driver. I have nothing against the evolution of language, which for the most part, from my point of view anyway, sometimes happens due to laziness and illiteracy. I basically tried to highlight unnecessary usage of the wrong words in the wrong place according to literary agents, which for me are particularly irritating. As I have already mentioned logistics, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, used to mean; the activity of organizing the movement, equipment and accommodation of troops. Of that there can be no debate, it’s a FACT. As a boss of mine once said, “there are drivers and there are screwdrivers”.
I like the way in this post you go on to show us what pretentiousness and pomposity mean! If time travel were possible go back 100, 200, 300 years etc and see what people then would think of your, or anybodies, interpretation of the English language. As you say yourself logistics USED to mean…
People need to lighten up a bit when it comes to the English language. Its a flexible fluid thing, which is one of the reasons why it’s still the most widely spoken language in the world.
Download Stephen Fry’s latest Podcast, he says some interesting stuff about this. Although I imagine your not a fan of the word ‘podcast’!
I like the way in this post you go on to show us what pretentiousness and pomposity mean!
Glad to be of service, now look up irony.
which is one of the reasons why it’s still the most widely spoken language in the world.
Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world.
Download Stephen Fry’s latest Podcast, he says some interesting stuff about this. Although I imagine your not a fan of the word ‘podcast’!
On the contrary, I find Mr Fry’s intellect and humour to be most refreshing in a world of ‘Z’ list celebrity. Add to that the fact that a ‘podcast’ is a relatively new invention, what else would one call it?
Carters and Carriers. Cartage Agency. Trucking. Road Transport. Supply Chain. Movers and Shippers. We are moving forward.
I don’t particularly like the blinged up twin wheel transit with Mega Global Logistics etched on the windows.
bazfrombenidorm:
I like the way in this post you go on to show us what pretentiousness and pomposity mean!
Glad to be of service, now look up irony.
which is one of the reasons why it’s still the most widely spoken language in the world.
Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world.
I knew someone would say that! The key word in that sentence is ‘widely’. More people speak Madarin Chinese than any othe language but relatively few speak it outside China. Relativley being key word there before anyone says anything.
English is the most WIDELY spoken language in the world by far.
Also if your intrested in a great read or listen (it’s a good audiobook), Melvyn Bragg wrote a fascinating history of the English language. Very good indeed.
ahh yes totally agree,but have you noticed the new"in vouge" managment “think tank”,lets have a "brainstorm"ok yah,statement…
“MULTI MODAL”■■?WTF,
The new name for haulage and storage.i cant believe they are paying some idiot to come up with these.
I knew someone would say that! The key word in that sentence is ‘widely’. More people speak Madarin Chinese than any othe language but relatively few speak it outside China. Relativley being key word there before anyone says anything.
English is the most WIDELY spoken language in the world by far.
This is detracting from my original statement. In much the same way that I dislike the term “domestic engineer” for housewife, I happen to dislike many other forms of obfuscation and thus would like to draw your attention to the plain English campaign. Merci et au revoir.