Multimodal transport route optimisation for reefer containers considering customer satisfaction and cargo damage in a low-carbon context

To meet the trend of green transport and achieve efficient distribution of perishable goods, it is advocated to vigorously develop cold chain multimodal transport. Meanwhile, due to the high rate of spoilage and low customer satisfaction in medium and long-distance cold chain logistics, transport quality needs to be improved. Therefore, this paper takes reefer containers transport as the object, with the goal of minimising the total cost and maximising customer satisfaction, to build a multimodal transport route optimisation model considering cargo damage. A case study on the transport of reefer containers loaded with salmon and apples from Urumqi to Shanghai in China is conducted. Besides, it also discusses the impact of both low-carbon policies and container insulation materials on the selection of multimodal transport route. The results can provide decision-making reference for government's multimodal transport policy formulation and cold chain logistics carriers' multimodal transport route selection. [Submitted: 29 October 2024; Accepted: 3 June 2025]