European and North American Transport Systems, Essay Example

Why did the author of this week’s reading find it necessary to compare the European and North American systems; are they really that different? How do costs of transportation impact global trade?

The authors compare the transport systems of the United States (North America) and the European systems because they are the two leading systems in the world with the richest history. That is, the European transport system historically was the most developed one in the world. This was particularly true after the industrial revolution. Although the United States started later in history, it caught up to many European countries quickly: Starting with land transport in the 1800s, the country developed rail transport in the late 1800s and eventually was the first to develop a full-scale air transport system.

After giving a brief description of the two continents’ basic transportation history and development trajectory, the question still persists: are the systems all that different. It is true that although the systems share a lot of similarities, they also share a lot of differences. Europe continues to depend on rail as one of the main mechanisms of transport; the United States has a more diversified logistical arsenal that allows goods to be delivered in different ways. While some of the differences are certainly attributable to different historical trajectories, government transport policy also plays a big role: the United States government inevitably played a major role in favoring the development of air and truck transportation, where European governments where more satisfied to let the status quo persist without pushing new technologies.

Overall, while there are similarities in the development of the transport system between the two continents, there are more differences due to history, government policy, and preferences for certain transport options.

References:

Leinbach, T. R., & Capineri, C. (2007). Chapters 1-5, 10