A review of dry ports - Characteristics, driving forces and impediments

Purpose The objective of the paper is to present the previous research on the dry port concept and to review the world’s existing dry ports, i.e. freight terminals that use the term “dry port” in their name. Therefore the purpose of the paper is to clarify the concept by showing potential discrepancies or agreements between the theory and practice. Design Starting from a literature review on the dry port concept, this study presents a review of existing dry ports in the world. The data collection was conducted by means of interviews or by questionnaires sent by email to the dry port managers. The findings are analyzed with the intention of clarifying the concept by showing the similarities and differences between reviewed dry ports and existing definitions of the same. Findings A number of qualitative criteria regarding the range of services at dry ports or its features could be theoretically established, although the same may vary depending on the customers’ demand. However, the ultimate purpose of the dry ports is the same, irrespective of that range. Research limitations The scope of the paper is seaports’ inland access with dry ports, as part of the intermodal transport chain. The trade journals review allowed identification of numerous dry ports in the world; however, many were not included in the review due to inaccessibility. Value This paper contributes to the study of dry ports by synthesizing a literature review on the subject of dry ports; moreover, it provides an overview of dry ports in the world; and as such makes a contribution to the scarce research on dry port concept