Linking Container Shipping Company Service Attributes to Shipper Satisfaction and Loyalty

In container shipping industry, due to the strategic alliances and vessel sharing, the services given to the customers have become the same each other. High competition remains but differentiation among carriers now totally depends on understanding customers and getting their loyalties. Therefore, the aim of this study is to find how and which service attributes of a container shipping company affect the shipper satisfaction and loyalty. Additionally, because there are thousands of shippers with different characteristics, such as product, organizational structure, trade region, and capacity, in this study it is also aimed to find the basic differences among shippers toward container shipping service attributes. Structural equation modelling (SEM) applied to assess data collected by a questionnaire survey. Data assessment achieved through hypotheses testing and with the help of some other statistical analyses such as ANOVA and T-Test. In this study, the factors affecting the choice of carriers were determined by using the literature. Factors are divided into subheadings such as rates, operation, and customer service. Data analyses were conducted by using LISREL and SPSS.