International and interregional trade and transport are on the rise and hence, there is a clear need for reliable estimates of transport flows. However, the available databases and estimation methods are not yet satisfactory for analytical and predictive purposes. In this paper we explore the use of different statistical techniques in order to examine the spatial flow pattern of freight transport among competing transport modes. Freight transport has specific peculiarities that are different from passenger transport. We argue that a logit model, the most commonly used technique in the empirical analysis of passenger flows, is not always appropriate for the analysis of freight flows, unless the interdependence between the decision making regarding the shipment of individual units of freight belonging to the same shipment is correctly modelled. In the paper, we will focus on the analysis of aggregate freight transport flows of the type that may be generated from conventional spatial interaction models. In particular, adjusted estimation techniques alternative to the logit model will be employed to analyze the transport flows of two products, chemical products and foodstuffs, based on an European interregional data set. We will conclude the paper by discussing various caveats encountered during the empirical analysis.
Download Info
To download:
If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the
proper application to
view it first. Information about this may be contained
in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read
the IDEAS help
page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS
site. Please be patient as the files may be large.
References listed on IDEAS Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.: