GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Oct 6, 2026
backlog
When a link in the transport chain is down for several days — for example because of a strike, a border closure or an operational disruption — pickups, deliveries and connecting services that could not be handled during the interruption pile up.
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Source: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Rueckstau
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Logistics Concept
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Definition & Explanation
When a link in the transport chain is down for several days — for example because of a strike, a border closure or an operational disruption — pickups, deliveries and connecting services that could not be handled during the interruption pile up. A backlog describes this accumulated volume of deferred shipments that must be cleared in a bundled rush once operations resume. This temporarily increases the load on terminals, ramps and dispatch, and ferry or rail connections can be missed again because capacity is not sufficient for the catch-up volume. The longer the disruption lasts, the larger the backlog and the longer it takes to clear.
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