ABSTRACT
The basic arguments in favour of businesses using a third-party logistics contractor are well documented and have stood the test of time. What is relatively new though is that logistics contractors are able to offer a full supply chain management service to their clients. The years prior to the realization of the Single European Market provided United Kingdom (UK) third-party logistics companies with the opportunity to make an early entry into the European market, either through direct acquisition or through setting up a new operation. Logistics operators in most of the rest of Europe tend to be smaller than their UK counterparts. Companies that have not yet expanded into the rest of the EU might also use unlimited cabotage as their own signal to acquire a knowledge of these markets, their cultural differences compared to the UK and the skills needed for success.
