Exploring logistics managers’ preferences for sustainable freight transport: a literature review on choice experiments

The implementation of sustainable freight transport concepts such as intermodality or synchromodality depends on the preferences of logistics managers and finally their acceptance to introduce these concepts. Discrete choice experiments represent an effective method to elicit logistics managers’ mode choice preferences in freight transport. In this paper, a structured overview of existing discrete choice experiments in freight transport is provided to analyse the characteristics of freight transportation demand and understand how shippers select a transport service. Results from a literature review show that transport cost, reliability, transport time and service frequency represent the most important variables that influence mode choice. This information allows deriving policy implications for the introduction of sustainable transport concepts. Monetary incentives represent an effective political instrument to facilitate sustainable transport. Reliability of a transport service is also of high importance and should be additionally focused to promote synchromodal transport.