The Role of Packaging in Supply Chain Management and Freight Transportation

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Hamid Mirzahossein 1
Mohammad Reza Kamalinezhad 2
1 Professor, Department of Civil -Transportation Planning, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran.
2 Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil Engineering – Transportation Planning, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/road.2026.554358.2443
Abstract
Packaging plays a crucial role in supply chain management and freight transportation by optimizing logistics, reducing costs, and enhancing productivity. Effective packaging design protects goods from damage and environmental factors, reduces transportation costs, improves cargo arrangement, increases safety, minimizes waste, and facilitates loading and unloading. Standardized packaging also enhances storage efficiency and coordination within the supply chain. Recently, environmental concerns have driven a growing focus on sustainable and recyclable packaging. Applying international standards in packaging design helps prevent resource waste and strengthens global coordination among suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors. This research aimed to identify and prioritize the key criteria influencing packaging selection and to determine the optimal packaging type for freight transport. Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), four main criteria—cost, performance and protection, sustainability, and intelligence and traceability—were evaluated alongside four packaging alternatives: plastic, paper/cardboard, smart, and biodegradable. The results show that cost, with a weight of 0.55, is the most influential criterion, while plastic packaging, with a final weight of 0.505, emerged as the optimal choice. Although sustainability and smart technologies are increasingly emphasized in theory and policy, practical decision-making in packaging selection remains primarily driven by economic considerations.
Keywords
Packaging
Freight Transportation
Supply Chain
Packaging Design
Supply Chain Management
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