Performance evaluation by North American carriers

Performance evaluation in the US transport system is well underway according to the trade press; its use by Canadian firms is less well known. This paper will report some of the preliminary findings of the second phase of a three phase research study now under way to examine the assessment of carrier performance by users and suppliers of North American transportation services. Phase I examined the approaches of cargo suppliers (manufacturers) to the evaluation of their transport suppliers' performance to understand the business practices taking place. The results of this activity were reported in Transport Reviews,18(1). Detailed case studies of user companies is the part of phase I that remains to be completed. Phase II will examine similar elements from the viewpoints of carriers and logistics service firms. This paper focuses on the preliminary findings of the carrier component of phase II and is intended to stimulate debate on the entire topic of buyer-seller relationships and the current realities of selling transport services.