A STUDY OF THE ECONOMIC INFLUENCE OF CONTAINERIZATION ON TRANSPORT SYSTEMS

The British experience is reviewed and compared with other ones. It appears that sea-transport is the ideal field for container use because of safety and efficiency. Railways are ideally placed to handle inland distribution of seaborne containers. Road containers are only justified if trans-shipment is involved to another mode of transport. Airborne containers are highly specialized and trans-shipment to another mode is not generally feasible; more costly, they have a limited growth potential. The customer requires a fast and reliable service at competitive price, and the operator requires a total cost lower than total revenue. As the capital costs are large, the road competition non-regulated and well placed for the short haul, a comprehensive market analysis is needed and a coordinated strategy must be devised at the international level and with all the parties involved. The major problems are: organization of trans-shipment centers, compatibility of technical devices, market analysis, high capital costs.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This report is the result of an ECMT Round Table held in Paris, Feb. 1-2, 1973.
• Corporate Authors:

  European Conference of Ministers of Transport

  2 rue Andre Pascal
  F-75775 Paris Cedex 16,   France 
• Publication Date: 1974

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: 77 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Competition; Containerization; Containers; Costs; Foreign; Freight transportation; Market research; Research projects; Short haul; Water transportation
• Subject Areas: Economics; Finance; Freight Transportation; Highways; Marine Transportation; Research; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00072109
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transportation Systems Center
• Report/Paper Numbers: #21
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 2 1975 12:00AM