4. A social activity

Although freight transport is an activity carried out by companies within the framework of inter-company relations, it is nevertheless fraught with broader issues, and has a strong social (some would say "societal") dimension.

• Public authorities' position

  In recent years, public opinion and public authorities have become more sensitive than in the past to the "externalities" of transport, such as pollution, insecurity, noise, congestion, the contribution to the greenhouse effect... and preventive or corrective policies are being put in place with varying degrees of success.

  What's more, not all the externalities of transport are negative, whether we're talking about regional services (for example, access to health or emergency services), spatial planning or, more broadly, the contribution...