Logistics on lorries: Misuse of word?

[Robert G]

Increasingly I notice lorries adorned with the word 'Logistics'; sometimes it forms part of the company's name.

Are transporters and delivery companies guilty of adopting and misusing this word? 'Logistics' means "the careful organization of a complicated activity so that it happens in a successful and effective way", as in "We need to look at the logistics of the whole aid operation". Clearly, the word can apply to all sorts of operations.

It seems to me that many transport and delivery companies have hijacked the word and are seeking to gain acceptance of it as meaning nothing more than a sophisticated alternative to the transport of goods.

What does anyone else think?

[johnlambert]

you answered your own question Robert, any company that uses the word logistics in its ads or logo promises "the careful organization of a complicated activity so that it happens in a successful and effective way",

[johnlambert]

Sorry, pressed send by mistake. Anyhoo any company that uses logistics is only underlining the fact that we live in a more sophisicated age than any other, and promises the whole deal in transpotation, from pick up to the safe delivery of goods at the final desination. Remember that most transport companies operate a multi drop facility tese days

[Robert G]

Thanks, John. I don't doubt what you say, but often what one reads seems to say that the company's business IS logistics! It's not. It's transport, or transportation of goods. Hopefully they use logistics as a management process to help them to operate in an efficient way.

My beef is that it's a bit like the way the word 'media' has been hijacked from its original (pre-newspapers, pre-radio. pre-television) meaning. When people refer to the press media they now merely say 'the media'. It's too general a term. We are already in danger of using the word in it's earlier sense and then being misunderstood by others who are ignorant of that earlier sense.

[jno]

it's just management speak. You sure they're not offering Logistics Solutions?

[BriWrite]

It's just one of the many words that seem to creep into the language and become the norm. Caucasian is one, Triage in a hospital is another, anybody got any more?

[Robert G]

Thanks, jno. No, I'm not sure, but I'm fairly sure. I mean to say, why would companies offering logistics solutions to other companies and organisations need to drive huge, heavily loaded articulated lorries all over the country and into Europe?

Thanks for those, BriWrite. I know languages evolve continually, or even continuously, but rather than hijack existing words and then misuse them, why don't people invent new ones, or create derived ones, like most people? Take' Pedestrianisation' of a highway, for example: ie converting a trafficked road into a way for pedestrians only. I don't have a problem with that because its meaning is pretty obvious.

More examples of widespread misuse would be nice to see here.

[jno]

I like seedless grapes. But what about the other ones? Supermarkets tend to label them seeded grapes. It makes them sound as if someone's put seeds into them - or as if they're playing at Wimbledon.

Robert, I think part of the way management speak works is a love of long words - logistics sounds better than transport because it's longer. And putting Solutions on the end of anything is the latest buzzword. (Once you're aware of it you'll see it on lots of trucks.) The expectation is possibly that the listener won't really know what they're talking about.

[BriWrite]

Hows this for management speak?

A male of unspecified nationality in collaboration with his female companion proceeded towards the apex of a natural geological protuberance. The sole purpose of their expedition was the procurement of a quantity of fluid, hydride of oxygen.
On gathering the aforementioned fluid it was to be accumulated within the confines of a retentive vessel of unspecified dimensions. It is unclear whether this assignment was completed or not as regrettably the masculine member of the team met with an unfortunate catastrophe.
This resulted in him precipitously descending headlong back from whence he had came, sustaining severe damage to the upper cranial portion of his anatomical structure; Subsequently in order to offer assistance to her companion the second member of the team unselfishly performed a rotational translation, oriented in the same direction as the one taken by her colleague.

[johnlambert]

BriWrite,

you American by any chance? Thats how they would write "Jack & Jill"

[BriWrite]

God forbid, the thought of being American.