Adopting ro‐ro transportation in inland China: a decision criteria survey of shippers, forwarders, and haulers

China's western inland has experienced rapid economic development during the past two decades. One possible solution for firms in this area to meet cost reduction challenges is the increased use of roll‐on/roll‐off (ro‐ro) practices as part of their intermodal transportation strategies. This study focuses on customer adoption of ro‐ro transportation between two major hubs, Chongqing and Wuhan, on the Yangtze River. Through qualitative and quantitative methods, the study examined the determinants on ro‐ro transportation choices made by shippers, forwarders, and haulers in Western China. The research discovered that customers use comprehensive consideration sets when considering transportation choices. Four major aspects of determinants were revealed: cost reduction, transportation lead‐time, convenience, and safety issues. It was also discovered that priorities change among different types of customers. Implications for developing effective alternative transportation strategies in developing countries such as China are provided.