Transport is full subject market. Observing the general objective economic laws of the market, it must, taking into account its own specifics, ensure the normal functioning of the free economic space of the state and sufficient profitability. transport companies, firms and other associations.

The market is a set of acts of buying and selling goods and services between sellers (producers) based on supply and demand through commodity and other exchanges using market infrastructure, including banks, exchanges, transport, communications, etc. Thus, transport, on the one hand, "physically" implements this exchange (circulation of goods and services), and on the other hand, it itself provides a service to the main subjects of the market: sellers and buyers, i.e. forms a transport market. Schematically, it can be represented as part of the market space of commodity exchange or promotion, shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 - Scheme of goods distribution

What does transport sell on the market? The movement of goods can be understood as a process and as a result. However, for cargo owners, it is not the transportation process itself that is important, but its final result - the delivery of cargo to its destination. Therefore, transport sells transportation or delivery as a result of its activities. This is the main “product”, i.e., a transport service that has an intangible form of consumption. However, like any product, it is characterized by its qualitative features, i.e., in order to successfully sell it, it is necessary to ensure a high level quality of transport service: delivery exactly in deadlines, without loss, with maximum convenience for customers. Ensuring all this requires significant material, labor and financial resources. Consequently, the main products of transport - transportation and other transport services - have a certain value (consumer and exchange), which arises in the process of transportation and is included in the price of the goods at the place of consumption. However, the price of transport products on the market, like any commodity, must be determined by supply and demand, taking into account the socially necessary labor costs and consumer properties of transportation.

The role of this or that type of transport in the transport market largely depends on their versatility, the performance of the placement of communications, the level of technical equipment, carrying capacity and bandwidth, cost, convenience and safety of transportation. These indicators characterize the volume and quality of offers transport services. The demand for them in terms of freight traffic is formed by the socially necessary needs for material exchange. The ratio of supply and demand for transport services by mode of transport determines the level of participation of each of them in the work transport system and at the same time is a stimulus for their development.

The use of marketing elements began to be given attention on foreign railways in the context of the so-called commercialization process. The railways of economically developed countries aim to abandon state subsidies for operational activities and ensure cost-effective operation in conditions of competition with other modes of transport and, above all, with road transport.

An important place in achieving this goal is given to marketing measures. The question arises: do such measures deserve attention at present in our country, where rail transport occupies a practically monopoly position, and technical condition roads and lack of rolling stock do not allow improving the quality freight traffic?

The need for railroads to focus on transport marketing is caused by many circumstances.

Firstly, improving the quality of cargo transportation is one of the urgent tasks, and the development of marketing is closely related to the management of product quality (transport services).

Secondly, the growth rate of freight traffic, which now provides the largest part of revenues and profits, will decline in the future. This is due to the adopted course towards resource saving, curbing the extraction and production of fuel and energy resources, reducing the front construction works. IN last years the volume of rail transportation in our country was reduced due to the fall in national production. All this complicates the receipt of revenues and profits from transportation in the traditional way. In order to ensure the necessary self-supporting working conditions, the railways are already engaged in ancillary - auxiliary activities, thanks to the profit from which they seek to compensate for the decrease in profit from transportation. In this regard, improving the quality of transportation, as well as expanding the range of all kinds of additional services, is of great importance not only from the point of view of the national economic interests, but also the self-supporting interests of the railways and their subdivisions.

Thirdly, an important problem is the correct and objective assessment of the share of railways in the Russian transport market. In marketing, it is believed that what matters is not what we think about our production and product, but what customers think about them. As a rule, it is reported at all forums that rail transport carries out more than 80% of the domestic freight turnover by public transport. However, it is well known that more than half of the rolling stock of vehicles and almost 80% of water transport are corporatized and privatized, that is, they are not public transport. Oil pipeline transport, although considered specialized, is state-owned and a competitor railway transport, especially for transportation of light oil products.

The cargo turnover of transport in the Russian Federation (including pipelines) in January 2012 compared to the same period in 2011 increased by 4.1%, to 428.4 billion ton-kilometers, the Federal Service reported. state statistics RF. At the same time, on railway this figure increased by 11.5%, by 10.2% for automobiles, while for air it decreased by 10%.

In comparison with the previous month, in January the cargo turnover decreased by 1.4% (Table 1, Fig. 1.1) .

Table 1 - Freight turnover of transport in the Russian Federation, taking into account the pipeline in January 2012 - 2011 (in billion ton-kilometers):

Fourthly, during the formation of market relations in the country's economy, in particular in railway transport, the situation was different than under centralized planning. Greater independence was given to railways, road departments and line enterprises. Separate functions for managing the transportation process and coordinating solutions to network-wide problems of railway transport have been transferred to the network level. Planning is carried out at the railways (enterprises). IN market economy the growth and decline in the volume of freight traffic has a more acute effect on the financial position of the railways.

Figure 1.1 - Freight turnover of railway transport of the Russian Federation by years

Railway transport in Russia since the early 1990s. operates in an environment where traffic volumes are declining, prices for materials, fuel, electricity and other resources are rising, the financial situation of linear enterprises and social protection workers are highly unstable. Practical measures are being taken to develop market relations and stabilize financial position on transport, but this is not enough. Have to search modern approaches to the organization of marketing on the railway.

The main idea of ​​marketing is that each railway, on the one hand, must adapt as much as possible to changing market conditions, and on the other hand, actively influence the market, consumers of transport services (clientele) and achieve its goals - increasing income (profit) .

The rigidity of such goal setting in the regime of market relations is justified in the absence or insufficiency of state subsidies to ensure the operational activities of railways. The market is considered as a set of groups of people, institutions, enterprises - cargo owners with a common need for transport services, who have the ability to pay for meeting this need.

Implementing tactics continuous improvement even in the long-known traditional types of transport services, the railway can secure an increase in market share, services, and income. At the same time, it is very important to find a “niche” of the market, which gives a significant effect, sustainable growth income. In recent years, with a decrease in traffic volumes, railways have persistently carried out measures to increase income from ancillary activities and other paid services ( paid services population, production of consumer goods).

Determining the needs for freight transportation requires careful analysis and forecasting of the situation in the transport market and assessing its impact on the financial results of the railways. It is necessary to identify possible ways to attract additional cargo, including through new shippers or other modes of transport, commercial structures, individuals, as well as to solve the problem of expanding transport services using contractual tariffs to partially compensate for income losses. In a competitive market, it is virtually impossible to reduce operating costs below a certain limit. We need to look for ways to increase the volume of traffic and income. One must imagine: what is the advantage of the railway in the competitive struggle? Need to know and understand modern methods studying the market, clientele, transport services and competitors.

In enterprises with world-class production, there should be no stocks at all. Such an order requires a completely different approach to managing the quality of transportation and organizing the delivery of goods, new methods for improving the transportation process in accordance with the requirements of marketing.

In a relatively stable market, carrying out long-known (traditional) transportation and services, it is necessary not only to take care of reducing prices, but also to think about improving the quality, improving at least some consumer properties of transport services. It is necessary to know in advance which properties attract the clientele in the first place. This is what marketing is for. At the same time, it is necessary to think about innovations, some improvements in the organization of transportation, improving the quality, income from transportation, constantly, and not from case to case. There are many questions and tasks to be solved on the basis of marketing. This:

• - additional insurance services for the most expensive transportation, especially during the first year after the introduction of new technologies; (for example, at the station Chelyabinsk - Chief of the South Ural Railway, all cargo in containers following in mixed or international traffic is insured);
• - simplification of the procedure for the presentation of applications by the clientele on the basis of contracts;
• - information activity;
• - provision of services upon the arrival of goods, as well as services in all cases when the client has difficulties with loading or unloading by traditional or new technology.

It is necessary to assess the prospects for working on this market and find out what kind of changes in the organization of transportation the client is waiting for. With any kind of change in delivery, advertising should be used, explaining that the client benefits from innovation, what is the financial incentive for the one who is the first to decide to pay for the proposed innovation. The development of measures of this kind is also part of marketing.

Marketing is designed to expand the commercial activities of the enterprise, improve planning, improve the transportation process, influence the stabilization of the financial situation and the conditions of the economic environment in which the railway will operate.

So why does the railroad need marketing?

First, to improve the quality, income and profit from transportation to stabilize the financial situation.

Secondly, to implement modern system planning, initially orienting the activities of the railway to the client, to the analysis of his needs, requests and preferences, to the desire of linear enterprises to respond as sensitively as possible to any changes in the composition of the clientele, their reaction to certain types of transport services.

Thirdly, in order to reasonably and efficiently manage financial resources for project development, justification and implementation modern technologies in transportation of goods as new models of transport services.

Fourthly, in order to work in market conditions with the least difficulty.

Market relations are increasingly being developed in all sectors of the economy of our country. Transport, being a full-fledged subject of the market, should adequately fit into these relations. Observing the general objective economic laws of the market, it must, taking into account its own specifics, ensure the normal functioning of the free economic space of the state and sufficient profitability of transport enterprises, firms and other associations.

The market is a set of acts of buying and selling goods and services between sellers (producers) and buyers (consumers), based on supply and demand through commodity and other exchanges using market infrastructure, including banks, exchanges, transport, communications. Thus, transport, on the one hand, "physically" implements this exchange (circulation of goods and services). On the other hand, he himself provides a service to the main subjects of the market: sellers and buyers, i.e. forms the transport market.

Thus, the product of transport is movement. The beneficial effect that appears as a result of movement, its end result is the delivery of goods and people to their destination. This is the main "product", i.e. transport service, which has an immaterial form of consumption. However, like any product, it is characterized by its qualitative features, i.e. in order to successfully sell it, it is necessary to ensure a high level of transport service quality: delivery on time, without losses, with the maximum degree of convenience for customers.

Ensuring all this requires significant material, labor and financial resources. Consequently, transport services have a certain value (consumer and exchange), which arises in the process of transportation and is included in the price of the goods at the place of consumption. However, the price of transport products on the market, like any commodity, must be determined by supply and demand, taking into account the socially necessary labor costs and consumer properties of transportation. So far, the prices of transport products (transport tariffs) are regulated by the state, and therefore transport has certain restrictions in the competition of market structures.

Thus, the features of the transport services market are:

the intangible nature of transport products, as well as any service (the impossibility of accumulating “in reserve”, the coincidence of production and sales processes, etc.);

spatial isolation of polygons for the implementation of transport services, their non-interchangeability, which limits intra-industry (on the same mode of transport) competition;

universality and mass nature of the transport market in society, its monopoly;

The role of railway transport in the transport market largely depends on its versatility, productivity, placement of communications, level of technical equipment, carrying and throughput capacity, cost, convenience and safety of transportation. These indicators characterize the volume and quality of offers of transport services;

the demand for them in terms of freight traffic is formed by the socially necessary needs for material exchange. The ratio of supply and demand for transport services by modes of transport determines the level of participation of each of them in the operation of the transport system and at the same time is an incentive for their development.

An important principle of the modern market is focus on the end result. In this light, the main thing is not cost savings, but the provision of services. top quality that meets the requirements and (or) desires of the consumer. This quality usually comes at a cost. However, due to the growth in demand for such services, an increase in the number of sales (especially with a slightly higher price), the manufacturer's profit may even increase, the consumer will receive a more durable quality goods(thus saving on the frequency of purchases) or the most complete and desired service.

Integrated marketing involves the need to produce not what you want to produce, but what consumers need. At the same time, it is necessary to study the final consumer goals and requests. Often, railroad workers think that customers need railcars, but in fact they (consumers) need delivered products, which they can transport either by another mode of transport, or even replace with another type of raw material, fuel or equipment. Today at developed countries integrated marketing encourages not so much competition as cooperation (the so-called strategic alliance). Instead of competition between rail and road transport, it is more beneficial for both carriers and customers to integrate them, cooperate in order to provide the best door-to-door and just-in-time transport service to cargo owners. It is in this direction that integrated marketing in transport should develop.

Transport, acting as if the role of a kind of intermediary (together with wholesalers and retailers, dealers, distributors), affects the efficiency of distribution channels and sales of products. At the same time, the choice of transport and the volume of its work largely depend on which channel for promoting its products the company chooses.

The market, as a mechanism that brings together buyers (demanders - customers) and sellers (suppliers) of transport services, has its own specifics and takes a variety of forms. The functioning of competitive markets that involve a large number of independently operating enterprises interested in transportation, has a direct impact on the operation of transport.

There are many questions and tasks to be solved at the enterprise:

additional insurance services for the most expensive transportation, especially during the first year after the introduction of new technologies;

simplification of the procedure for the presentation of applications by the clientele on the basis of contracts;

information activity;

provision of services upon the arrival of goods, as well as services in all cases when the client has difficulties with loading and unloading using traditional or new technology, etc.

As a rule, there is no lack of demand for transportation throughout the country, since this demand is a natural need of people and society. Transport is the "blood vessels" of production and economic systems, and they cannot function without it. However, on certain types transport and in some regions, such a state is quite possible. For example, the desire of cargo owners to use vehicles for guaranteed delivery of components and other products over long distances instead of railways. Another example is the decline in long-distance passenger travel (falling demand) due to a sharp rise in ticket prices. Irregular demand for transportation is often caused by the irregular work of some enterprises, seasonality in the production and consumption of certain types of products, etc. In some cases, excessive or irrational demand for transportation is allowed, for example, due to the occurrence of oncoming, excessively repeated, excessively distant and other irrational transportations.

To organize the normal operation of transport, it is very important to know the upcoming size of demand for cargo transportation, i.e., having commensurate demand with available resources, develop transportation plans for various periods of action: for the future, current and short-term periods. In them, with varying degrees of detail, the forthcoming traffic volumes and the size of transport work, as well as the main cargo flows and traffic density in the directions of the transport network, should be established. It is very important to establish the structure of the forthcoming transportation by type of cargo, especially bulk.

The main feature of international transportation is their competitive nature. In order to increase competitiveness in the field of freight transportation, it is necessary to improve the tariff system, namely to keep tariffs stable, reducing transportation costs. In order to survive in the competition and not lose customers, the company must improve its tariff system.

Despite the fact that road transport is the most common and mass mode of transport, in Russia the share of road transport accounts for a significantly smaller share of the total volume of cargo transportation. Railways are the main artery for the movement of freight traffic over long and medium distances. Delivery of goods by rail is today one of the most convenient ways of transportation without the risk of loss of cargo safety.

The main feature of market relations in road transport is the excess of the supply of transportation services over effective demand in conditions of free pricing and, as a result, intense competition of motor transport enterprises in order to obtain high financial results(income, profit) for the provided transport services. Competition in the transport market can be defined as the competitiveness of motor transport enterprises, forwarding enterprises, other enterprises and organizations engaged in the transportation of goods, when their independent actions effectively limit the ability of each of them to influence General terms providing services in this market and stimulate the offer of those services that are required by the consumer.

For small and medium-sized enterprises, which are most typical for the trucking business, competition is one of the most likely sources of problems. However, it is likely that competitors, including large transport companies, with a large reserve of resources, are not able to realize most of their capabilities or even satisfy all the needs of their current customers.

Most small firms and individual carriers are trying to find a niche in the market where they would be somewhat protected from competition. To achieve this, they must provide services that are in some way unique and different from those of competitors.

Assessing its competitiveness, the enterprise, first of all, determines its main competitors, their strengths and weak sides, geographical location, market share in the total volume of transportation (services) in the region; volume and range of services provided, additional service, conducted price and sales policy; the availability of transportation opportunities for competitors and the prospects for their increase, etc.

In intercity transportation, road transport competes with other modes of transport, primarily with rail, as well as with inland waterways, taking into account navigable waterways and the seasonality of transportation. When choosing a means of delivery for a specific product, shippers take into account transportation costs in the price of the product, the timeliness and safety of its transportation.

Besides, an important factor The incentive for a shipper to use road transport may be the desire to avoid difficulties in meeting the requirements of railway transport enterprises in terms of container turnover rates, idle time of wagons and their loading, ensuring the necessary packaging of goods, etc. Beneficial for many shippers, multimodal transportation, especially for containerized cargo, is impossible without the interaction of various types of transport companies and modes of transport. Therefore, competition in the transport market is accompanied by interaction in various forms. Transport enterprises mainly use price and non-price methods of competition. If the demand for transportation and related services noticeably reacts to changes in the value of the tariff (elastic demand), then some reduction in tariffs is possible, which allows the carrier to attract additional clients and increase its share of the regional transport market, acquire the credibility of a stable enterprise. Forced fare cuts may also be the result of a policy to ensure the survival of the enterprise in the face of high competition from other carriers and seasonal changes in customer needs. With non-price competition, the emphasis is on the conditions for the provision of services, ensuring the reliability of their performance and availability. Higher quality of transportation is usually associated with additional costs and the establishment of relatively high tariffs. Reasonable application of the rules for the admission of transport enterprises to work can increase the number of people wishing to obtain licenses for a certain type of activity or, conversely, reduce it.

Transport market , where there are only a few manufacturers - sellers of transport services (modes of transport) and a large number of their consumers (buyers) is oligopolistic market.

The specifics of Russian transport lies in the fact that, due to the prevailing geopolitical conditions in many regions, one type of transport is monopoly, and other types complement it, mainly at the final and initial points of movement of goods and people. This is especially true for the eastern part of Russia, which occupies more than half of the country's territory. This is a normal natural monopoly. The most efficient use of modes of transport in this case is their rational interaction, which is confirmed by world experience.

So, the main thing in the unity of the transport system is not so much the type of ownership (although, of course, this circumstance is significant), but the interests of consumers, the final result of the activity of this system in a material-natural form, which corresponds to marketing, i.e. market concept of the normal functioning of the economy. “Success can only be achieved by fully satisfying the needs of consumers,” says one of the basic postulates of marketing.

Depending on the current situation in the transport market, healthy (natural) competition between modes of transport and within one type is also necessary, for example, between automobile firms and railways in parallel directions. Adapting to market conditions, transport enterprises must ensure the competitiveness of their products - transport services. That is why it is necessary widespread introduction management and marketing to the organization and planning of transportation, to transport services to the clientele, and greatest success those enterprises and companies that provide timely delivery with all the conveniences - "just in time" and "door to door" - achieve. And this can best be done with a combination of several modes of transport within the framework of the functioning of the UTS of the country and its individual regions. At the same time, we are not talking about a return to centralization and administration, but about the economically beneficial interaction of various elements of this system for both customers and transport.

But, if we talk about the current state of the Russian transport market, then first of all it should be noted the extremely high costs of transporting goods. This is one of the main factors of the non-competitiveness of Russian goods, both on the world and domestic markets. Indeed, transportation costs per unit of production in Russia are 6 times higher than in the United States and 4.5 times higher than in China, with approximately the same territorial scale.

The main mode of transport in Russia remains railway, which requires not only expansion (since the density of railway networks is insufficient, and some parts of the country still do not have access to the railway), but also a radical reconstruction. The condition of the tracks and the deterioration of the rolling stock are such that the average speed on Russian railways is 4 times lower than in European countries. The degree of mechanization of loading and unloading operations is also extremely low, which reduces labor productivity in transport and increases the cost of transporting goods.

A general trend for all developed countries in the transportation of goods is the transition from rail to road transport. In Russia, such a trend is not yet possible, mainly due to the underdevelopment of the road network. The density of roads in Russia is 40 times less than in Europe and 32 times less than in the USA (the difference is exacerbated by the incomparability of the compared roads in terms of quality). Even if we make an adjustment for the fact that approximately 35% of the Russian territory is not affected by economic activity, the indicated figures still quite clearly show the qualitative ratio of infrastructure road transport in Russia and in the developed countries of the world.

Economic theory, defining the place and role of transport in the development of modern society, considers it as a universal means of labor, as one of the general conditions of production. By moving the means of labor and workers within enterprises, transport carries out the links generated by the technological division of labor. These functions are performed by intra-production transport. By moving various types of products between producers (suppliers) and consumers, transport implements the links generated by the territorial division of labor. The scheme of these connections is shown in fig. 1.

sphere of production sphere of circulation sphere of consumption

Figure 1.- The place of transport in the system "production - circulation - consumption"

1 - production; 2 - expedition, storage, loading; 3 - transport;

4 - storage, unloading, expedition; 5 - consumption;

These functions are performed by the transport of the sphere of circulation, which, in the course of

historical process of the social division of labor emerged as an independent sphere of production. Transportation in the process of circulation in modern conditions is mainly carried out by public transport - rail, sea, river, road, air, as well as special transport (pipelines, high-voltage power lines and railway access roads of enterprises connecting them with the network of main lines of communication). These modes of transport, together with the system of warehouses, are the material basis of the circulation process.

Transport, on the one hand, is a part of the market infrastructure, “physically” realizing the exchange of goods and providing services to the population, and on the other hand, it, as a market entity, sells its services by moving goods and passengers. Different modes of transport can provide these services in different ways, thereby forming transport market. The share of transport costs in the cost of industrial and agricultural products is 15-20%, reaching 45-50% for some cargoes.

Topic 2. Market of transport services and its features

(2 hours)

1. Characteristics of the transport services market.

2. Internal and external environment motor transport company.

The market is a set of acts of purchase and sale of goods and services between sellers (producers) and buyers (consumers), based on supply and demand through commodity and other exchange using market infrastructure, including banks, exchanges, transport, communications.

Market of Transport Services- the scope of transportation of passengers, cargo, cargo luggage and luggage, Maintenance and repair Vehicle, auxiliary and other types of work (services) associated with transportation (Economic Dictionary).

Thus, transport, on the one hand, "physically" implements this exchange (circulation of goods and services). On the other hand, he himself provides a service to the main subjects of the market: sellers and buyers, i.e. forms the transport market.

The product of transport is movement. The beneficial effect that appears as a result of movement, its end result is the delivery of goods and people to their destination. This is the main “product”, i.e., a transport service that has an intangible form of consumption. However, like any product, it is characterized by its qualitative features, i.e. in order to successfully sell it, it is necessary to ensure a high level of transport service quality: delivery on time, without losses, with the maximum degree of convenience for customers.

Ensuring all this requires significant material, labor and financial resources. Consequently, transport services have a certain value (consumer and exchange), which arises in the process of transportation and is included in the price of the goods at the place of consumption. However, the price of transport products on the market, like any commodity, must be determined by supply and demand, taking into account the socially necessary labor costs and consumer properties of transportation. So far, the prices of transport products (transport tariffs) are regulated by the state, and therefore transport has certain restrictions in the competition of market structures.

Thus, the features of the transport services market are:

The intangible nature of transport products, as well as any service (the impossibility of accumulating “in reserve”, the coincidence of production and sales processes, etc.);

· spatial separation of polygons for the implementation of transport services, their non-interchangeability, which limits intra-industry (on the same mode of transport) competition;

generality and mass nature of the transport market in society, its monopoly;

· The role of railway transport in the transport market largely depends on its versatility, productivity, placement of communications, level of technical equipment, carrying capacity and throughput, cost, convenience and safety of transportation. These indicators characterize the volume and quality of offers of transport services;

· the demand for them in terms of freight traffic is formed by the socially necessary needs for material exchange. The ratio of supply and demand for transport services by modes of transport determines the level of participation of each of them in the operation of the transport system and at the same time is an incentive for their development.

An important principle of the modern market is focus on the end result. In this light, the main thing is not cost savings, but the provision of the highest quality service that meets the requirements and (or) desires of the consumer. This quality usually comes at a cost. However, due to the growth in demand for such services, an increase in the number of sales (especially with a slightly higher price), the manufacturer's profit may even increase, the consumer will receive a more durable quality product (thus saving on the frequency of purchases) or the most complete and desired service. .

Transport, acting as if the role of a kind of intermediary (together with wholesalers and retailers, dealers, distributors), affects the efficiency of distribution channels and sales of products. At the same time, the choice of transport and the volume of its work largely depend on which channel for promoting its products the company chooses.

The market, as a mechanism that brings together buyers (demanders - customers) and sellers (suppliers) of transport services, has its own specifics and takes a variety of forms. The functioning of competitive markets, which involve a large number of independently operating enterprises interested in transportation, has a direct impact on the operation of transport.

The main feature of international transportation is their competitive nature. In order to increase competitiveness in the field of freight transportation, it is necessary to improve the tariff system, namely to keep tariffs stable, reducing transportation costs. In order to survive in the competition and not lose customers, the company must improve its tariff system.

TRANSPORT MARKET - a set of different types of transport and transport enterprises that interact and compete with each other in the process of selling and providing transport services to transport users. It can also be characterized as a set of transport and non-transport enterprises and individuals interacting with each other in order to sell and buy transport products (services). Types of transport and transport enterprises, based on their technical and economic features and capabilities, can provide these services in different ways and with different quality and cost, thereby forming a competitive transport market. The main competitors of the railway transport - automobile, and for long-distance passenger transportation - air transport.

Liberalization commercial activities industrial and transport enterprises, the widespread corporatization of airlines, road transport enterprises, shipping companies and ports, the collapse of the centralized system of payments for freight transportation by all modes of transport led to the emergence competitive environment in the transport market, in which, among the many subjects, one of the main ones are forwarders and cargo owners.

The transport market from a commercial and legal point of view can be divided into three levels. On the first one there are buyers of transport services - consignors, consignees and cargo owners, that is, customers; on the second - freight forwarders who are intermediaries in the sale of transport services, but at the same time organize and control, in whole or in part, the technological chain of cargo delivery; on the third - carriers (railways, shipping companies, airlines, motor transport companies, etc.) and points for performing operations related to loading, unloading, transfer to other modes of transport, repair of rolling stock, and other organizations that directly provide transport services.

Relationships for the sale and purchase of transport services, as well as for their provision, can be carried out directly between the subjects of the first and third levels, bypassing the second, as it was before the start of market reforms in transport. If there is an appropriate agreement with the railway. administration (or other carrier) of a particular country by a freight forwarder on its land territory (or waterways) may be a cargo owner (for example, forwarding of oil products through the territory of Ukraine by the companies "Lia-Oil SA", "Indutek SPA", through the territory of Lithuania - "Vitol SA", etc.).

Forwarders can perform some of the functions of carriers, for example, transportation in transport units - wagons, ships, cars or containers, loading and unloading operations and storage of goods in warehouses rented or owned by them, etc. (transportation of petroleum products in tanks and tankers by companies Russkiy Mir, SFAT, Lukoil-Trans, Brookwood, LLC Linkoil, etc.). Often one entity performs the functions of cargo owners, freight forwarders and carriers (for example, the Novolipetsk Iron and Steel Works sells its products after transportation in its own or rented wagons). It is more convenient for the cargo owner to deal with one forwarder at all stages (links of the transport component of the logistics chain) of moving goods from the point of departure to the point of destination (when transported by all modes of transport and passing through ports). In the future, such transportation, in order to prevent delays associated with reissuing documents at the points of transfer of cargo shipments from one mode of transport to another, possible theft, etc., will be carried out not only in removable transport units (containers, piggybackers, rail trailers, road railers, etc. .), but also according to a single document, and their management - from one logistics dispatch center.