Freight transport in cities - Market segments, structure and trends in development

Freight transport markets in Oslo, Trondheim, Tromsø and Larvik are studied; including market segment sizes, market shares and the largest transport operators. Larger cities seem to give increasing market shares of the segments distribution of consumer goods and other part-loads compared to smaller cities, while local type transport (such as transport of local rock in Larvik) has an increasing share of the total market with decreasing city sizes. The report looks at the city distribution systems of 5 Norwegian trade/industrial companies, and it discusses trends in international freight developments. Globalisation and interational company structures lead to increased direct distribution from Europe, but the study also confirms a future need for efficient freight terminals "at home" since transport in several market segments have a need for reloading or consolidating their goods at a terminal. An estimated number of vehicles used in part-load distribution in Oslo is reported. Future challenges expressed by transport operators concludes the study, together with suggested areas for further research.