Dedicated Contract Distribution: An Assessment of the UK Marketplace

The article reports the findings of research carried out by the authors into dedicated contract distribution (DCD), a service which is “tailor‐made” to the requirements of users. Major characteristics of the DCD marketplace in the UK are identified and future prospects for growth are commented on, particularly outside the UK. As freight deregulation is recognised as a prerequisite for the development of specialist services such as DCD, development potential seems particularly promising in both the US and parts of mainland Europe.