Well-functioning logistics and freight transport systems are crucial for a prosperous economy and a thriving society. The World Road Association/PIARC B4 Freight Technical Committee examines issues surrounding multi-modal and road cargo transport and reviews practices related to truck management and energy-efficient movement of freight.

Within the freight committee is the B4.1 Working Group whose strategies are to investigate and document countries' national policies for freight transport and logistics, including good practices in evidence-based freight transport policy-making and evaluation of initiatives. In order to gain a better understanding of the types of multi-modal freight policies developed around the world, the B4.1 Working Group created a survey questionnaire to investigate and document member countries' multi-modal national policies for freight transport and logistics. In the survey, the working group looked for national case studies, good practices analysis, and valuable lessons of less successful policies and practices that have been implemented or at least demonstrated under real freight transportation systems and logistics networks. These practices must be feasible, transferable and as innovative as possible.

The purpose of these fact sheets are to highlight projects, initiatives and policies that have been utilized by member countries in an effort to provide increased efficiencies within their respective freight transportation systems. Strategies and solutions from Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Japan, Norway, Switzerland and USA offers good practice ideas on a variety of topics such as heavy vehicles charges, long combination vehicle programs, national highway freight program, speed management of vehicles at work zones, ITS based data collection and sharing of truck movements, programs to promote the development of intermodal terminals and private sidings and incentives for modal shift from road to rail transport.