Economic organization of intermodal transport

Abstract

The paper considers in detail strategic changes occurring in the organizational context of intermodal transportation and discusses the application of economic approaches (primarily transaction-cost economics) for assessing the effectiveness of the appropriate governance structure in organizing the intermodal transport economic system. The paper reviews the developments in intermodal transportation, particularly in the context of logistics and supply chain management, and recognizes the trend for the formation of one-stop shopping megacarriers spurred by deregulation and market requirements. This culminates in the need to consider how companies should organize the economic governance of the intermodal transport system. The main governance structures include market (subcontracting) or hierarchy (internal organization). The transaction-cost economics approach is reviewed and applied at a conceptual level to provide the core basis upon which the assessment of the optimal governance structure in intermodal transport can be based. The review of the core economic principles indicates that the governance structure in intermodal transport is dependent on transaction costs, production costs and strategic considerations that a particular structure might entail and the policy implications thereof. The potential for empirical research in the application of the transaction-cost economics approach to intermodal transport is discussed and detailed direction for further empirical research is provided as well as discussion of policy implications particularly with respect to competition and antitrust.