An Analysis of Motor Carrier Marketing Strategies, Information Technologies, and Productivity

University Transportation Centers Program2003PDFTech ReportMcMullen, B. StarrOregon State University. Dept. of EconomicsTransportation Northwest Regional Center X (TransNow) (UTC)United States. Department of Transportation. University Transportation Centers (UTC) ProgramUniversity of Washington. University Transportation Center for Region 10United StatesEconomic efficiencyInformation technologyMarketingMotor carriersProductivityTruckingTNW2003-03DTRS99-G-0010A Malmquist Index is used to measure productivity and efficiency for U.S. general freight motor carriers in the 1990s. The investigator examines the relationship between these efficiency measures and the marketing strategies chosen by individual carriers. A newly available data set that includes both information on marketing strategy and the information technologies that each carrier has adopted is used. The analysis also determines which of the newly adopted information technologies used by trucking firms have led to the largest increases in productivity.140