Resilience of perishable freight transport: a systematic literature review

This paper analyses existing literature on the resilience of perishable freight transport through a systematic review of 45 peer-reviewed studies. The study identifies the key factors, distinctive challenges and opportunities to strengthen the resilience of the perishable freight transport system by synthesising the literature into freight transport system functions, disruptions, and resilience strategies. The review shows that a limited number of studies explicitly address perishable freight, while broader resilience research often treats freight as a homogeneous category. Across the literature, resilience has been examined in response to various disruptions, with substantial progress in understanding operational responses but less attention to proactive, infrastructure-oriented measures. By mapping disruptions across low, moderate, and high vulnerability and linking them to proactive and reactive strategies, the study clarifies current resilience approaches and highlights key gaps. This perspective provides policymakers and managers with a clearer basis for assessing transport resilience needs and underscores the importance of balancing operational flexibility with stronger infrastructure and policy measures.