Business Models of Transportation Electronic Marketplaces: An Empirical Survey

Despite their relatively short history, transportation electronic marketplaces are already undergoing a difficult period of consolidation, which has forced many to cease operations or merge with other industry players. The high rates of failure experienced by most of these new web-based intermediaries justify interest in their future viability. This paper is part of an ongoing research concerning the strategic choices and the competitive positioning of transportation electronic marketplaces and it is aimed at providing a first insight into the characteristics of the business models of these intermediaries and their potential relevance for viability in the long term. Via an extensive literature review, the paper identifies a reference framework encompassing several descriptive dimensions of the business models for transportation electronic marketplaces. This frame has been applied to a sample of marketplaces. The results of the analysis bring to evidence some common features of the business models of examined marketplaces which are likely to positively affect their capability to survive in the current period of fierce competition and consolidation.