Interregional trade network analysis for road freight transport in Greece

• Network analysis of interregional freight flows yields market areas for total trade.
• There is increased cargo clustering mostly around large metropolitan areas.
• The findings show the optimal number, location and geographical covering of hubs.
• Manufacturing and highway coverage foster agglomeration, accessibility and hubness.

This paper suggests a flexible decision support framework for the strategic planning of a freight transport hub network in Greece. The proposed methodology treats practical aspects related to the optimal number, location and geographical covering of hubs, through the network analysis of interregional trade, based on original survey data for road freight flows during 2004–2012. The results offer insights into the hierarchical structure of the network and related investment priorities, as the hub role of a prefecture is found to be strongly influenced by high population densities and manufacturing specialization, and its location along highway corridors.