ASSESSMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS POTENTIAL OF THE TERRITORY OF THE SOUTHERN FEDERAL DISTRICT

In the face of the changing global market space, the problem of organizing new international transport corridors reaches a new level. The new conditions of scientific examination call for the role of macroregions to be reevaluated and their transportation and logistics potential to be evaluated. The study aims to assess the transportation and logistics potential of the territory of the Southern Federal District of Russia. The employed research methods include theoretical analysis of scientific literature, analysis of statistics and expert opinions, and analysis of the information presented by online periodicals. The study analyzes key trends describing the condition of cargo transportation and cargo turnover by road transport in the regions of the Southern Federal District. Proceeding from an analysis of the opinions of Internet media researchers, conclusions are drawn about the reasons behind the observed trends. Among the factors inhibiting the development of the transportation and logistics potential of Southern Federal District regions are political and administrative (decisions by federal enterprises), organizational and technological (condition of the transport and logistics infrastructure), and climatic factors (seaports freezing in winter). The study concludes that the transportation and logistics potential of the territories of the Southern Federal District cannot be realized fully without overcoming infrastructural limitations first.