FOREWORD TO THE FIFTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE TIL 2014

In 2003, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Niš, began to introduce multidisciplinary sciences by establishing the studies in engineering logistics. Multidisciplinarity is based on the scope of natural sciences studied within transportation engineering. The width of that educational scope is provided by classical mechanics of solid and compressible continuum, theoretical and experimental analysis of structures, sciences concerning processes such as stochastics, planning theory, simulation theory, economic theory, material flows, process optimization and information Internet technologies. This wealth of scientific values opens a path toward an easier acceptance of modern tasks in the wider engineering activity, which is one of the goals of academic work. Process studies within the area of industrial transportation are the scientific domain of modern engineering logistics. The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Niš, is the home of the Department of Transportation Engineering and Logistics which expands its knowledge on the Western European model of engineering logistics. These modern disciplines have been introduced through study visits by professors and assistants at the technical universities in Magdeburg, Dresden, Karlsruhe, Munich, Berlin and Vienna, as well as the visits of renowned European professors at the University of Niš, which have been taking place for the last 35 years.The Fifth International Conference of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Niš entitled Transportation and Logistics, TIL 2014, nurtures the disciplines of technical design of transportation machines and logistics directed toward the processes of exploitation of transportation systems. The Conference TIL 2014 has five topics: Plenary – shared, business logistics, transportation engineering, logistics of traffic engineering and industrial technology. The Program Committee has accepted 37 research papers as a thematic background for the dialogue. Current and logic ideas have attracted a number of scientific workers, students and professional experts to this scientific conference, which, above all, allows for the emancipation of the understanding of logistics and its introduction to the domestic educational and economic activity. Therefore, the Fifth International Conference includes thematic presentations by professional experts on current topics in Logistics, which take place on the second day of the Conference.This and the previous conferences: TIL 2004, 2006, 2008, 2011, belong to the times of change in the economic model of national commerce from the socialist model to the liberal-capitalistic one. This process requires new knowledge and new professional structures which can enable the functioning of the market economy of the developed world. The professors of the University of Niš and Serbia believe that the need for more efficient work and new professional knowledge will be easily fulfilled by introducing new scientific disciplines and research. Moreover, new knowledge will lead to the new awareness in the people, and the return of the sensation of the beauty of being. The Faculty Board of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Niš, by this act of dialogue and the support for the scientific conference TIL 2014, contributes to the changes in Serbia.The help for the changes in the domestic educational system has continuously been provided by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Serbia and the sponsors of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering who understand the times that we are living in. The Program and Organizing Committee of the Conference TIL 2014 would like to use this Conference Proceedings to extend their gratitude to the professors-founders, authors of papers, ministries, sponsors, the Serbian Logistics Association, the City of Niš and all other friends who have endorsed the previous conferences, thus contributing to the well-being of the future society.