The construction of logistics distribution centers (LDCs) is one of the priorities for adapting the Polish transport system to the standards in force in the European Union. For a long time, there have been discussions among politicians, scientists, and practitioners regarding the number and location of LDCs in our country.
By analyzing the location of similar centers operating in Western Europe, the following location conclusions can be formulated:
1) LDCs should have an adequate area guaranteeing their proper operation and development, ranging from 50 to 150 hectares,
2) LDCs should be situated on the outskirts of large cities, at a significant distance from residential buildings,
3) Access to transport infrastructure is of priority importance; LDCs should be located near major international transport routes,
4) In port cities, a large part of LDC turnover consists of maritime transport cargo, hence their location should be as close as possible to the port area,
5) Large urban agglomerations can have several logistics centers and/or a network of distribution sub-centers located closer to the final recipients of goods.
It is therefore indisputable that an LDC should be located near a large transport hub. Most often, this is a hub associated with a large urban agglomeration, e.g., Warsaw, Poznań, the Tri-City, or Upper Silesia. For each of these hubs, an area can be determined within which the LDC should be located. Let us call it the transport hub area. The second area important for further considerations is the supply and distribution hinterland, i.e., the region that the LDC will serve. This hinterland can also be called the immediate hinterland, as opposed to the further hinterland, which is the area of the country and abroad connected by transport with the LDC in question. Transport between the LDC and the immediate hinterland should be carried out primarily using road transport, while transport to and from the further hinterland should be handled by rail.
The proposed method for determining a rational location for an LDC in a specific transport hub is applicable at the initial stage of project implementation when we are dealing only with the concept of building an LDC. It is based on the analysis of a number of research criteria that determine the effectiveness of the location. The primary tool is a comparative analysis of selected location variants using differentiating criteria. The analysis primarily concerns the transport connections of the LDC with its immediate and further hinterland. To make it easier to understand the discussed method, let us analyze an example of its practical application by choosing a rational location for an LDC in the Szczecin hub.
The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka” No. 2/2003.