This paper examines the problems facing freight traffic route assessment caused primarily by the complex structure of the freight business. It then examines the traditional quantitative approach to research in this area showing the practical difficulties of the work and giving details of some of the techniques that have been used to overcome them. It then examines the advantages and disadvantages of this approach and the care that is needed in interpreting the results. The alternative approach small scale highly analytical qualitative research is then examined in depth and the advantages and disadvantages of the approach assessed. Again, attention is given for the type of error that can occur when using this technique. Finally, a combined approach using both qualitative and quantitative techniques in a series of stages is recommended as likely to lead to collection of more accurate data for taking investment and long term marketing decisions.
There are a number of ways in which the telephone can be used to help the industrial market researcher. Some of course fall outside the definition of the word interview. I would like to include the following as standard interview types; A) The structured or semi-structured telephone interview aimed at collecting straight-forward quantitative and qualitative data on a large scale; B) Open-ended telephone interviews on technical or semi-technical subjects; C) Screening interviews designed to enable a selection of people or companies to be interviewed personally; D) Open-ended telephone interviews for general information on the market.
The need for research in Europe could thus fall into one (or a combination) of the following clearly defined important groups. A. Single country projects in order to establish first of all if there is a potential market in the country and possibly secondly how this potential should be exploited. At this stage a list of possible acquisitions could be a major objective.; B. Single country studies where the overall potential is already known but data is required on how to exploit it profitably; C. A multi-country project looking at the total European market in order to establish in general terms how a company should plan: 1. its overall investment strategy. 2 . its detailed marketing plans. d . A multi-country project where the overall potential is already known and where data is needed on how to exploit the markets profitably.