Shipment Times and Shipment Costs: A Systematic Literature Review

Long-distance freight transport plays a critical role in supporting global trade and economic development, yet its increasing complexity has raised significant challenges related to efficiency, cost, reliability, and sustainability. This review paper provides a comprehensive and systematic synthesis of the literature on long-distance multimodal freight transport, with a particular focus on the representation of time and cost components within transport systems and modelling frameworks. The study integrates over one hundred academic and grey literature sources to examine the operational mechanics of freight transport chains, including transport chain configurations, terminal operations, transshipment processes, and system-level uncertainties.

A structured bibliometric and classification analysis is employed to categorise the literature across multiple dimensions, including geographical focus, transport modes, cargo types, and modelling approaches. The findings reveal a strong concentration of research in Europe and maritime-dominated logistics systems, with containerised freight receiving disproportionate attention compared to dry bulk, liquid bulk, and general cargo. Methodologically, optimisation-based models dominate the literature, while simulation, econometric, and hybrid approaches are gaining traction in addressing system complexity and uncertainty.

A key contribution of this review is the critical examination of how time and cost components are conceptualised and modelled across freight transport studies. The analysis demonstrates that while both dimensions are widely acknowledged, they are often treated in isolation or simplified within modelling frameworks. In particular, terminal dwell time, handling processes, and reliability are frequently underrepresented, despite their significant impact on overall system performance.

The report identifies key research gaps, including the limited integration of time–cost trade-offs, underrepresentation of non-containerised freight, and insufficient modelling of uncertainty and behavioural responses. Future research directions are proposed to advance the development of more comprehensive, data-driven, and operationally realistic freight transport models that better support policy and planning decisions in complex multimodal logistics systems.