ABSTRACT
From whatever economic perspective road freight is viewed, the one characteristic of the mode that stands out above any other is that it is a ‘competitive’ industry. This chapter will examine the factors that make the sector ‘competitive’ and then consider what kind of outcomes this leads to. As a consequence, the chapter is largely structured around the idea of competition, what that actually means, how it has been defined, how it works and how this is evidenced in the functioning of the road freight sector. Most of the chapter is based on the UK industry, although examples are drawn from other parts of the world, particularly the US.
