Barriers to shippers’ resistance in adopting truck-sharing services

Purpose: Truck-sharing stands out as an impactful strategy for minimizing emissions and optimizing the streamlined transport of goods. This study seeks to address a gap in understanding by investigating the barriers shippers face in adopting truck-sharing services.

Design/methodology/approach: This study employs the innovation resistance theory to examine a range of potential barriers. A total of seven potential barriers are included in the investigation. Survey data from Bangladeshis are analyzed using an artificial neural network.

Findings: The barriers, ranked in importance, include image, tradition, value, usage, risk, psychological ownership and privacy concerns. Thus, psychological barriers (image and tradition) mostly underpin resistance to change, showing that the issue is more rooted in shippers' perceptions than operations. Also, they often do not find a financial cause to use truck-sharing services. Usage barriers, explicitly addressing the practical application of truck-sharing services, have now assumed the third position, underscoring their significance in overcoming the barriers.

Research limitations/implications: The findings provide valuable insights for policymakers to reconsider their approaches in addressing the most formidable truck-sharing barriers.

Practical implications: This insight holds implications for shippers and transport companies, offering strategic guidance to optimize their engagement with and support for such services.

Originality/value: To the best of our knowledge, this study examines shippers' reluctance to adopt truck-sharing services in a developing country.