INVESTIGATING THE POWER IN FREIGHT TRANSPORT COMMUNICATION NETWORK STRUCTURE

The business of freight transportation is undergoing a technological revolution at it moves toward the 21st century. New technologies are being developed and adopted in each mode of freight transportation. The one technology that affects all modes is information technology. Information technology related to the coordination of logistics and supply chain management, has the capability of affecting all the modes in a similar way. This technology in the form of electronic data interchange has begun to automate, and reduce the costs of, paper flow required to move goods from shippers, through carriers and transfer points, to consignees. Surveys of the freight transportation industry indicate that the adoption of EDI has not been nearly universal in any dimension. The paper investigates the structure of the communication system used for transport supply chain.