摘要: |
FOR OVER 40 YEARS, THE UNITED STATES has relied on market forces to "regulate" pricing and service in transportation. Rail, highway, water and air carriers were freed of "onerous regulation" under the popular idea that competition will result in better service at lower prices. Indeed, competition led to lower prices in the short term that, in some cases, bankrupted lesser competitors. The freedom gained also meant that consolidation was now not only allowed, but encouraged. The stronger competitors began to grow by absorbing rivals large and small, and over several decades there has emerged a market in all the deregulated modes with a few players dominating the space. Some would argue that the truckload sector is an exception. Others note that large brokers, large 3PLs and private fleets are rapidly coming to dominate service and pricing even in this large "fractured" market. |