Starting in the mid-1990s, the rapid growth of offshore production by transnational corporations increased the need for worldwide distribution centers (Bonacich 2005). This growing demand favored new warehouses that needed to be larger and more high-tech than warehouses along the coast in places like Long Beach. The Inland Empire saw an exponential growth in new warehouses during this time. A by-product of this increase in warehouses was the influx of transportation and other logistics activity in the region, a trend that has accelerated through the development of e-commerce, particularly after Amazon opened its first California fulfillment center in San Bernardino in 2012. 

New innovations in clean logistics and electrification are poised to significantly change the landscape of goods movement, reducing pollution and routing trucks away from historically disenfranchised communities. For example, commercial trucks may utilize cleaner fuel systems or more efficient routes, further away from large residential populations. While much of this work is still underway, it is essential that community organizations and advocates be included as experts and leaders in finding viable solutions. There are significant opportunities in the Inland Empire to take a leadership role in sustainable mobility, with lessons that can be adopted elsewhere in the country.