Determinants of decisions on modal shift to inland shipping to serve hinterland seaports

One of the major issues with freight carriage is choosing the ideal mode of transport. This is no different for transporting cargos in maritime trading, where the land section of the transport route may be accomplished by inland shipping, provided sufficient transport infrastructure exists. This article presents the results of a study on the demand for inland shipping to and from the seaports of Szczecin and Świnoujście. The research study was carried out in 2017 by applying demoscopic methods. Interviews were conducted with major cargo shippers involved in maritime trading based within the Oder Waterway corridor who import/export over 10,000 tonnes of cargo per year. The interviews made it possible to obtain information on the most important factors considered by individual cargo shippers while organizing their transport processes. In addition to identifying the determinants themselves and to specify their nature, the study also indicated the positive and negative consequences of each determinant on the modal shift to inland shipping. The research in this study showed that a key role was played by determinants connected with the characteristics of carried cargoes, features of a given transport mode, and financial consequences of choosing a certain transport solution. An important factor was also the characteristics of the cargo shippers declaring the demand for transport, as well as changes in the cargo structure and the directional structure of foreign trade.