If items being transported must go through an intermediate point before reaching a final destination, then this situation is known as a(n) _____.

This situation is known as a "transshipment" point. In logistics and transportation, transshipment refers to the transfer of goods from one means of transport to another during the journey from the origin to the final destination. This can occur, for example, when items are shipped from a manufacturing location to a distribution center. At the distribution center, they may be sorted and transferred to different trucks or ships that will take them to their final destinations.

Transshipment can be essential to optimize the supply chain, especially when considering the efficiency of transportation routes, costs, and delivery times. It allows for consolidation of shipments, reduces the number of direct routes that must be managed, and can improve overall logistics efficiency. Thus, in scenarios where goods are not shipped directly from the supplier to the customer but rather pass through an intermediate point for further distribution, the process is referred to as transshipment.