An Assesment of Industrial Shipper's Perceptions in the Modal Selection of Air Cargo Transportation

Abstract

The process which industrial shippers use regarding freight modal choice is better understood when analyzed within the marketing models of organizational buyer behavior. These models take their origin from the behavioral aspects of consumer buyer behavior and attitude-attribute theory which allow researchers to meuure consumer perceptions, predict preferences and then infer choice. Perceptions about freight modal alternatives and the relative importance of cost, service, shipment characteristics, and distribution pattern attributes were ascertained via a self-administered mail survey conducted in 1982. Using comparisons between mean response scores and multidemensional scaling techniques, respondent perceptions were measured and analyzed. The air cargo mode vas isolated for specific study. The results indicate that air cargo is perceived as a unique transportation alternative providing a means for shippers to meet their customer's special requirements at a premium freight rate. Industrial class shippers, in general, seek low cost dependable transportation methods for the shipment of low value per unit weight bulk commodities, and do not value short transit time as relatively important. However, when the customer dictates and the shipment allows, the air cargo mode is the ideal method of transportation.