Final answer:
Transportation and physical distribution are related but represent different aspects of the overall logistics process in business.
Step-by-step explanation:
The terms "transportation" and "physical distribution" cannot be used interchangeably because they carry slightly different meanings within the field of business logistics. Transportation refers to the movement of goods or people from one location to another, such as the movement of products from a warehouse to a retail store. It involves the actual transportation modes like trucks, trains, ships, or planes. Physical distribution, on the other hand, encompasses the entire process of getting products from the manufacturer to the final consumer.
It includes activities such as warehousing, order processing, inventory management, and transportation. While transportation is a key component of physical distribution, physical distribution is a broader concept that encompasses multiple activities beyond transportation. Therefore, the terms "transportation" and "physical distribution" carry similar meanings in terms of the movement of goods, but they are not interchangeable because they represent different aspects of the overall logistics process within the business context.