MOTOR CARRIER STRATEGIES AND PERFORMANCE

This paper examines post-deregulation strategies of less-than-truckload general freight carriers. Data on 38 strategic variables were gathered from annual reports filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission. Cluster analysis was used to categorize the one-hundred and forty firms into four strategic groups identified as follows: (1) differentiation approach coupled with a risky financial strategy; (2) a well-defined focus strategy concentrating on select types of traffic among select shipper groups; (3) a particularly sedentary strategy showing little activity across dimensions; and (4) an aggressive expansion strategy characterized by high growth rates. Major findings are: (1) a well-formulated and clearly defined strategy is an important determinant of financial performance and (2) despite the intense competition brought about by deregulation, an appropriate choice of strategy can provide financial performance comparable to "average" firms in the regulated environment.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/09658564
• Corporate Authors:

  Pergamon Press, Incorporated

  Headington Hill Hall
  Oxford OX30BW,    
• Authors:
  • Smith, R D
  • Corsi, T M
  • Grimm, C M
• Publication Date: 1990-5

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 201-210
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice
  • Volume: 24A
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0965-8564
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09658564

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cluster analysis; Deregulation; Financial analysis; Freight transportation; Motor carriers; Performance
• Identifier Terms: Motor Carrier Act of 1980
• Old TRIS Terms: Strategy
• Subject Areas: Finance; Freight Transportation; Highways; Motor Carriers; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00495386
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Jul 31 1990 12:00AM