Freight transport is in itself one of the main activities of the modern economy and is also necessary to any other economic activity, whether it concerns supply, production, distribution, consumption and finally waste collection and recycling. This book presents the transport of freight as a system, mixing information and theory, so as to show how it itself functions and its strong influence on a wide economic and social environment.The nature of transport, an industrial process widely marketed as a service, is analysed in depth, explaining the main characteristics of transport operation, its market and the regulatory context. Then the main actors (carriers, shippers and the public authorities) are presented, and their behaviour and interaction are clarified. This is the first book to employ a general approach to the study of freight transport rather than focusing on a particular sector, fully considering the link between transport and logistics as well as political issues such as infrastructure provision, market regulation and environment matters.