ABSTRACT
The issues related to training in the transport industry should be supported by a thorough analysis of the strategic and innovative elements that have marked the evolution of freight transport. Since the demand for transport is of a derived type, structural modifications in the sector are influenced by significant changes which have affected the manufacturing and distribution processes. The globalisation of sourcing and consumer markets, the decentralisation of production, the concentration of warehouses and distribution centres and just-in-time have made the economic system highly transport-intensive. The logistics approaches were adopted by manufacturing and commercial firms of mass consumer goods, where logistics costs tended to have a high impact on total running costs. The systemic and integrated approach of logistics becomes widespread and leads to the development of the concept of Supply Chain Management. The Italian position in the international context and the overall picture of freight transport has been traditionally marked by asymmetry between demand and supply.
