Defining maritime logistics hub and its implication for container port

Since the hub-and-spoke concept was introduced to the aviation market after the US airline deregulation in the late 1970s, it becomes a primary distribution model employed by leading international logistics companies. This pattern drives the companies to consolidate shipments on the large scale at major terminals (i.e. hub) and to redistribute the smaller scale of shipments to their respective destinations via radial links (i.e. spoke). In the field of logistics and supply chains, however, the hub concept has been often introduced in various terms in accordance with functionality: for example, logistics centre, logistics zone, freight terminal, distribution centre and warehouse. Such a heterogeneous terminology on the concept of logistics hub seems still in usage by practitioners and academics alike. Having recognised this rather ambiguous concept and definition in the literature, this article attempts to define the concept applicable to the maritime industry by synthesising existing studies/perspectives and examine its possible implications.