Consideration of transport logistics hubs in freight transport demand models

European Transport Research Review

An Open Access Journal

Table 1 Differentiation of transport and distribution logistics hubs (based on [44])

Characteristics	Distribution logistics hub	Transport logistics hub
number of sources	few	many
number of sinks	many	many
main function	storage, consolidation, distribution, packaging, value adding services	transhipment, certain buffer function
user	one or certain number of users	many different and changing customers
operator	own account or logistics service provider (3PL)	logistics service provider, forwarding agency
destination	sink is uncertain^a	sink is certain^b
examples	distribution and/or consolidation centres, warehouses	intermodal freight terminals, locations of forwarding companies, seaports, inland ports, airports

^aAt the moment the goods arrive at the distribution logistics hub the final destination is not defined. The final destination will be defined during the picking process only
^bEach shipment is labelled with an explicit destination before it reaches the transport logistics hub