For years, numerous studies have called for a greater shift of freight transport from road to eco-friendly transport modes to avoid serious consequences of climate change. Despite these scientific calls, road transport is still the dominant mode in the sector. A key element to increase modal shift is to transform freight mode choices, as they have a decisive impact on the chosen transport mode based on identified transport performance criteria. However, there is a lack of academic research that examines the relationship between modal shift measures and mode choice criteria, as most studies focus on only one area without analysing the interactions. Using a survey-based assessment with 131 responses from shippers and logistics service providers in Austria, Germany and the Benelux countries, a user-centric framework was established to identify the most influential modal shift measures on freight mode choice criteria. The results show that infrastructure development and service and efficiency improvements are the most important measures influencing mode choice criteria and therefore have the potential to lead to a modal shift. In addition, the paper emphasises the need to adjust freight rates, as the price of transport remains the most important mode choice criteria.