Prioritizing freight carrier selection factors with the best worst method

Efficient freight carrier selection is pivotal to modern logistics and supply chain management, demanding a systematic approach to navigate the complexity of factors such as cost, reliability, sustainability, and collaboration. This study aims to prioritize these factors using the Best Worst Method (BWM), offering a novel framework for enhancing decision-making precision in carrier selection. Drawing insights from literature, industry expertise, and stakeholder perspectives, a criteria set is identified. Utilizing the BWM, we established a structured evaluative framework where expert judgments and pairwise comparisons helped identify the “best” and “worst” criteria for each factor, assigning appropriate priority weights. Cost emerged as the most important criterion, highlighting its significance in the decision-making process. The results show that cost, reliability, and safety are the top priorities for freight carrier selection, with sustainability and collaboration being less critical but still significant. This study has profound implications for logistics practitioners, supply chain managers, and decision architects engaged in carrier selection processes. Moreover, the study enriches the theoretical understanding of carrier selection within a multifaceted criteria context. This study offers a novel framework that elevates decision-making precision in carrier selection.