A SURVEY OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN TRANSPORTATION COST FUNCTION RESEARCH

摘要: The paper reviews the origins of empirical cost analysis in transportation but concentrates on developments over last 15 years or so. Aggregate functions are studied to infer broad characteristics industry, notably presence absence economies scale density. Recently calculation is being reconsidered. If there interactions among output categories and/or attributes associated with firm size, may be advantages large firms not because per se. A second purpose make efficiency comparisons across time. function (or productivity index) decomposed identify influence scale, mix outputs, attributes, and market environment, reveal residual differences. Other recent reviewed include: (1) use flexible functional forms (e.g., translog); (2) measurement, hedonic functions; (3) treatment fixed inputs short run (4) "frontier" estimation techniques.