Effects of Road Pricing on Freight Carrier Behaviors Analyzed with Experimental Economics: Comparison of Peak Hour Delivery and Off-Hour Delivery

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.