Effects of road pricing on freight carrier behaviors analyzed with experimental economics

This paper uses experimental economics to examine the route choice behavior of freight carriers in peak hours and off-hours. The study finds that carriers tend to choose toll roads in peak hours to ensure on-time delivery, regardless of the type of cargo. In contrast, carriers are reluctant to choose toll roads in off-hours. For a delivery of 50 mi, the receiver's final cost is lowered by approximately 25% if the receiver switches from peak hour delivery to off-hour delivery. The paper sheds light on the route choice behaviors of freight carriers under the constraint of delivering the cargo within a given time window. Findings of this study reinforce the empirical observation of freight carrier behaviors. The study also offers a data set that can be used for further econometric analysis of the freight sector.