March 1999

In the recent months, the Internet has had an enormous, historic impact on the stock market in many different ways. Real-time access to stock prices and lower transaction cost has increased trading by small investors, causing stock price fluctuations not seen in the past. The influence of internet on other industries will be of similar proportions. Because of the new dynamics created by the buying and selling of goods over the Internet, the global transportation industry will feel much of the impact of electronic commerce through the changes in the retail sector.

Only recently, even the most enlightened transport operators viewed the Internet merely as a tool for doing business. But the rapid growth of on-line commercial business promises far greater changes that are already being felt in the United States and will soon have a similar impact in other parts of the world…