Freight rates up and down the urban hierarchy

This paper investigates how freight rates paid by shippers are affected the characteristics of urban areas origin and destination. It is based on a commodity flow survey between 45 Japanese prefectures from 2000 to 2010. Through an analysis rates, authors seek identify advantages disadvantages faced firms depending spatial arrangement their flows. The results show that shipping cargo small large less costly than in reverse direction, other things being equal. difference may be due higher probability for truck companies find back-haul when destination area, usually involving larger transport market. Another important finding this study intra-urban positively correlated with population size. latter result levels congestion, labour costs, weight size restrictions vehicles, as well proportions light goods such parcels courier