4 February 2010

By Stuart Emmett, Cambridge Academic, £16.95

This book – one of a series of Excellence in... titles by the same author – claims to be a guide to “better managing domestic and international logistics transport”. It is intended for users, operators, students and people undertaking professional qualifications.

Certainly all of these people would find the book of great interest. It covers a broad spectrum of topics including modal choice, technology, people management and health and safety, as well as the political and legislative landscape surrounding transportation.

But because of the diversity of the topics covered and the wide audience it is trying to reach, the reader could not rely on this book alone to develop a deep understanding of each individual topic. The author does recognise this and for some of the more complex subjects – freight transport regulation, for example – he provides references to further sources of information.

It would be easy to dismiss the book’s relevance for purchasers because of the focus on the operational features of freight transport. Only a couple of chapters focus on commercial aspects.

But for purchasers wanting to gain a wider understanding of their freight transport providers and the climate in which they operate, it provides a good insight and is useful for anyone new to the sector. Particularly interesting are the case studies, providing real-life examples to contextualise the theory in each chapter.

Matthew Harris

Senior buyer – logistics, Sainsbury’s