Surface Freight Prospects

Abstract

In 1980, the United States introduced a fundamental shift in government policy toward the surface freight transportation industry, away from regulation of rates and entry to a market-based system. Under deregulation, the surface freight industry has experienced significant efficiency gains resulting in a higher level of customer service at lower prices in real terms. Reliance on a competitive marketplace will allow these gains to continue as the nation moves into the twenty-first century. The overall efficiency of the surface transportation system will be ensured by the almost complete reliance by shippers on third parties for logistics management. These third-party experts will assist companies in minimizing their total logistics costs. Overall, this nation's surface transportation system in the mid-twenty-first century will be a highly efficient intermodal system that provides U.S. industry with a competitive advantage in its effort to achieve market gains in a global economy.