The Americas’ Transportation: a Cross-country Comparison

Abstract

The road freight mode is the backbone of the national transportation systems in the Americas. Each country has different characteristics that have a direct impact on how transportation is procured and managed in the region. This paper conducted a cross-country comparison analysis of the most significant road freight transport systems of Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Mexico) and North America (United States) based on the new proposed concept of Truck Transport Performance Index (TTPI). The objective is to provide practitioners and researchers an extensive overview of the main transportation practices regarding procurement, truck drivers’ labour market, innovation, cost management, environmental topics and public policies. Semi-structured interviews with main transportation stakeholders such as carriers' companies, multinationals and transportation agencies conducted and final results presented based on qualitative coding methodology.