The Role of Intelligent Transport Systems in Modern Freight Supply Chains

This opening chapter explains how Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) are reshaping freight logistics from static, paper-based coordination to connected, data-driven operations. It traces the sector&s;s evolution and defines freight-specific ITS aims reliability, asset utilization, compliance, and sustainability contrasting them with passenger-focused systems. Core building blocks are introduced, including telematics and Global Navigation Satellite Systems/ automatic vehicle location (GNSS/AVL), V2X communications, geofencing and curbside management, digital freight platforms, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based decision support, and blockchain for traceability. The chapter shows how these tools align with urban planning through access rules, emission zones, and Urban Freight Control Centres (UFCCs), and illustrates results with international examples. It also identifies adoption barriers interoperability and infrastructure gaps, costs, data governance, institutional fragmentation, and skills, and outlines practical pathways using standards, secure data sharing, pilot evaluation, and capacity building. By establishing the concepts, terminology, and systems view used throughout the book, the chapter provides a foundation for subsequent discussions on last-mile platforms, digital twins, big data, automation, sustainable urban freight, and governance.