This paper addresses the economic feasibility of measures to reduce the mat
erial damage of transport companies. Results are presented of a series of i
nterviews among transport companies as well as from a postal questionnaire
survey. Next, calculations are presented for three types of companies: a sm
all family company, a large family company and a large formalised company.
From the viewpoint of costs and benefits, damage prevention measures appear
to be particularly interesting to larger companies. Small companies, being
the largest group, tend to have an informal culture in which measures are
less effective. Especially those measures for which no large investments an
needed, which influence the behaviour of drivers and need not to be contra
cted out, are perceived as attractive by the transport companies. (C) 2000
Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.