This study justifies the contemporary importance of efficiency analysis. The theoretical concepts of technical, allocative, and economic efficiency are presented. Empirical problems are addressed, with different ways of measuring efficiency and their inherent disadvantages presented. A theoretical application is given for haulage firms operating on Spanish roads in six subsectors with panel data. The liberalization of goods road transport policies in the 1990s has engendered a more technically efficient reorganization of road transport regions, which will result in innovations in transport services, lower fares, greater diversity in contracts, and better transport quality.
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