Transportation Sector by Better Trades

The first forms of transportation dates back to the creation of humans, when we began to walk as a mode of transportation. Later, humans began another form of self-propulsion, running and swimming. It was not until the domestication of animals that humans began to see easier and more effective ways to travel.

With the use of these animals, humans were able to place the burden, hence “beasts of burden,” of heavier loads for transport on theses powerful creatures, namely horses and oxen. People could also ride these animals at greater speeds and longer distances then by walking.

When the invention of the wheel and sleds came about, it helped tremendously with the efficiency of transportation as vehicles were introduced. With people and beast walking or pulling carts, the concept of roads fell into place. Created mainly by trade routes and animal trails, roads were carved out by high traffic use as trade began to flourish.

Roads have been said to date back as far as 10,000BC, as rough pathways were entrenched by human travelers. By 4,000BC, stone paved streets were located in the Middle East, while log roads were discovered in England during the same period.

The key to the development of roads and transportation during these periods was the expansion of commerce. Much like today’s economics, the ability to establish a reliable mode of transportation on set routes helped with the flow of supply and demand.

Transportation has also been a catalyst to expansion of civilizations. With the need to trade with a broader scope of people and communities, transportations played a key role in the evolution of economy and settlements.

Water transport also came into play during the time before history. The first water vehicles were canoes, which were usually cut from timber and powered by humans. Later on, with the development of civilizations, larger ships were manufactured that were also powered by either rowing or wind propulsion.

It is believed that the first sea-worthy ships to navigate the oceans dates back 40,000 to 50,000 years ago. By 3,000BC, the Greek galleys were constructed to cruise the Mediterranean as trade and war ships. However, it wasn’t until the 13th century that ocean-going ships made their mainstay in the civilized world.

Even the dream of flight dates back thousands of years. Around 400BC, it is believed that Archytas designed and built a bird-like flying device that was supposedly propelled by steam and that it actually flew for some 200 meters. One of the more well-known designers and enthusiasts of flight came in the 16th century with Leonardo da Vinci. In 1502, da Vinci studied and examined the wing design of birds and later built a man-powered machine.

There were many other attempts leading up the most memorable flight at Kitty Hawk. In fact, in the 18th century, French scientists invented a mode of transportation that took flight and was lighter than air, the balloon. Although it was a great accomplishment for its time, the bigger challenge came from the creation of a craft that was controllable in flight.

With countless attempts to create powered flight, others succeeded in flight using gliders and horse-drawn craft. It was not until 1903 that the infamous Wright Brothers made their first successful flight. Recorded as the “first sustained and controlled heavier-than-air powered flight,” it would take the brothers three more years to perfect their invention.

In the Industrial Revolution, key inventions during the 19th century changed the transportation industry profoundly. The first would be the introduction of the steam engine. When applied to the railroad industry, the steam engine made land transport independent of animal or human power, while also being more energy efficient as there is less friction compared to vehicles. The steam engine was later introduced to the development of steam ships, which increased the speed of global transportation.

It was not until the turn of the 20th century that road transportation became viable. With the invention of the internal combustion engine, the automobile introduced an independent mode of transportation that allowed individuals the freedom to travel by ways of mechanical power.

At the conclusion of World War II, the automobile and airlines took center stage as the desired choice of transportation, leaving rail and water travel to mainly freight cargos. By the 1950s, the vision of Spaceflight came about and continued with much fervor into the next millennium.

The introduction of the jet engine into commercial aircraft in the 1960s gave passengers the chance to travel internationally, while the opening of the country through the Interstate Highway System, implemented by then-President Eisenhower, connected the coasts of our nation for the purpose of commerce and personal freedom.

Today’s modern transportation leads to so many things. Passenger transportations related to the tourism industry, while freight and cargo correspond to economic growth and business.

Despite the positives derived from transportation, it is one of the largest drains on energy in this country. Another concern related to the industry is the impact on the environment.

As our nation continues to expand, the creating of air pollution, traffic congestion and urban sprawl have been a growing apprehension for the industry and those looking to reduce the carbon footprint of the transportation industry.

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