Perishable Goods Transportation Market to Reach US$ 39.3 Billion by 2033 | Astute Analytica
Surging e-commerce volumes and a global appetite for fresh protein are intensifying the reliance on technologically advanced road and sea transport. The market is rapidly innovating with IoT and blockchain to enhance traceability and efficiency in last-mile delivery.
Chicago, Oct. 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The global perishable goods transportation market was valued at US$ 21.7 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach US$ 39.3 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 6.8% from 2025 to 2033
The digital revolution in retail is actively reshaping the cold chain, creating unprecedented demand for last-mile refrigerated logistics. This shift is most evident in the U.S. online grocery sector, where explosive growth translates directly into transportation challenges. For instance, the record-breaking $11.2 billion in U.S. online grocery sales for August 2025 represents millions of individual orders, each requiring swift, temperature-controlled delivery. The consistent momentum, with sales hitting $10 billion in July and $9.8 billion in June 2025, intensifies the pressure on logistics networks to handle a high volume of fragmented, time-sensitive shipments of fresh and frozen goods. This is a fundamental pivot away from predictable, large-scale deliveries to supermarkets.
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This operational pressure in the perishable goods transportation market is magnified by a rapidly expanding user base. The growth from 138.3 million online grocery shoppers in 2024 to a projected 148.4 million in 2025 necessitates a denser and more responsive transportation footprint. It drives the need for larger fleets of refrigerated vans and investment in localized micro-fulfillment centers to maintain cold chain integrity close to the consumer. The success of platforms like InstaCart, with projected sales climbing from $33.5 billion in 2024 to $37.4 billion in 2025, proves the viability of this decentralized model. For the perishable goods transportation market, this means adapting to a new ecosystem where speed, agility, and maintaining precise temperatures across countless individual deliveries are the new benchmarks for success.
Key Findings in Perishable Goods Transportation Market
| Market Forecast (2033) | US$ 39.3 billion |
| CAGR | 6.8% |
| Largest Region (2024) | North America (Largest) |
| By Type | MPS (Largest) |
| By Mode of Transportation | Road Transportation (47%) |
| Top Drivers |
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| Top Trends |
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| Top Challenges |
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Evolving US Consumer Spending Habits Drive Last-Mile Logistics Innovation Today
Consumer spending patterns are directly fueling the need for a more responsive cold chain in the perishable goods transportation market. Retail behemoth Amazon’s online grocery sales in the U.S. were estimated at an impressive $40.5 billion in 2024. Subsequently, Amazon’s projected online grocery sales for 2025 are an even stronger $43.8 billion. The value of each transaction is also noteworthy, as the average transaction total for a U.S. online supermarket order is $112. In 2024, the average revenue per user for online grocery delivery in the U.S. was a significant $1,360, highlighting the economic power of individual consumers.
Convenience and speed are now paramount consumer expectations, reshaping delivery models of the perishable goods transportation market. Average per-person weekly food spending in the U.S. reached $83 as of September 2024, based on a key consumer survey with 1,200 participants. Meeting the demand generated by such consistent spending requires exceptional efficiency. In a move highlighting the demand for speed, Walmart announced in August 2025 that an incredible half of its delivery orders were arriving in under 3 hours. A swift and reliable market is no longer a luxury but a core competitive necessity.
Global Sea Transportation Capacity Expands to Meet Surging Reefer Trade
The backbone of international perishable trade, sea transportation, is scaling its infrastructure in the perishable goods transportation market. Projections indicated that seaborne refrigerated trade would total 139 million tonnes by the end of 2024, while another 2024 forecast estimated the total would be 124 million tonnes. To support this volume, the global reefer container market fleet size was a massive 4,306,000 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) in 2024. Moreover, the number of operational specialized reefer vessels was recorded at 468 as of April 2024, forming a critical component of the global cold chain.
However, equipment production shows signs of perishable goods sea transportation market normalization after previous highs. Total production of new reefer containers in the first quarter of 2024 was 19,000 FEU (Forty-foot Equivalent Units). A figure represents a significant decrease from the 28,000 FEU that were produced in the fourth quarter of 2023. Despite short-term fluctuations, the long-term outlook remains robust. Reefer container volumes are forecast to expand from 4 million TEU in 2023 to an impressive 7.1 million TEU by 2030, setting the stage for sustained growth in the perishable goods sea transportation market.
Intense Competition Defines the Global Perishable Goods Sea Transportation Landscape
The refrigerated perishable goods sea transportation market is both diverse and highly concentrated at the top. A 2024 market analysis identified 44 major players, indicating a healthy competitive environment. Additionally, the same analysis pointed to 11 top manufacturers of the critical reefer containers that make this trade possible. Yet, market leadership is fiercely contested among a few dominant carriers. These industry titans command vast fleets that dictate global trade flows and set industry standards.
Specifically, the rivalry between the two largest carriers is exceptionally close. Maersk’s, a leader in the perishable goods transportation market, vessel fleet consisted of 738 boats in early 2024, of which Maersk directly owns 330 of the ships. The total combined capacity of Maersk’s extensive fleet is approximately 4.3 million TEU. In a striking display of market parity, key competitor MSC’s fleet capacity also reached approximately 4.3 million TEU in early 2024. The capacity difference between the two largest carriers, MSC and Maersk, was a mere 1,888 TEU, illustrating the intense competition within the perishable goods sea transportation market.
US Road Networks Dominate Domestic Perishable Goods Logistics and Fulfillment
Within the United States perishable goods transportation market, ground-based logistics are indispensable. A 2025 market report dedicated to the U.S. market contains 75 pages of in-depth analysis, including 35 distinct figures and 20 comprehensive data tables that underscore the segment’s complexity. Road networks are the primary arteries for both long-haul distribution and final-mile delivery. In a move toward modernization, logistics giant XPO launched a new fleet of electric refrigerated trucks in October 2024 to meet sustainability goals and delivery demands.
The financial significance of road-based fulfillment is immense for the perishable goods transportation market. Online grocery fulfillment channels, which rely entirely on ground transport, generate billions in monthly revenue. For instance, in June 2025, online grocery sales fulfilled by road-based pickup services reached $4.3 billion in the U.S. In the same month, road-based delivery services for online groceries accounted for another $3.8 billion in sales. Even ship-to-home services, which often involve multiple transit modes, depend heavily on road networks for the final leg, totaling $1.7 billion in the U.S. in June 2025.
Stringent Pharmaceutical Cold Chain Requirements Create High-Value Niche Market Opportunities
The pharmaceutical sector represents a highly specialized and lucrative segment of the perishable goods transportation market. Transporting life-saving medicines requires uncompromising adherence to precise temperature standards. The critical temperature range for many refrigerated pharmaceutical products, such as vaccines, must be strictly maintained between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius. For other products, the specified industry standard for frozen pharmaceutical goods is a temperature maintained below -20 degrees Celsius, while a standard for ambient temperature-sensitive medicines is set between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius.
Advanced therapies are pushing the boundaries of cold chain technology even further. The highly specialized cryogenic temperature requirement for advanced cell and gene therapies is -150 degrees Celsius or even colder. Innovation is key to serving this demanding field. Reflecting growth, CSafe launched 3 new technologies in April 2024 as part of its CGT Cryo Series to handle these cryogenic demands. A year later, in April 2025, Cold Chain Technologies launched a new reusable universal temperature-controlled pallet shipper. The segment’s complexity is highlighted by a 180-page market analysis report on pharmaceutical cold chain logistics published in July 2025.
Digitalization and Advanced Technology Integration Revolutionize Supply Chain Visibility and Efficiency
Technology is a transformative force in the modern perishable goods transportation market. The proliferation of connected devices provides unprecedented monitoring capabilities. The number of active IoT devices across the globe is projected to surpass 17 billion by the end of 2024. Within North America alone, the number of connected IoT devices is expected to reach 5.4 billion by the close of 2024. This connectivity is being leveraged to enhance supply chain integrity and provide real-time visibility from origin to destination.
Major logistics players are actively integrating these technologies. In December 2024, Maersk introduced a new fleet of refrigerated containers fully equipped with IoT sensors. Similarly, Kuehne + Nagel launched a blockchain-powered digital platform in September 2024 to provide transparent shipment tracking. During 2025, carrier MSC rolled out its proprietary iReefer system, while Ocean Network Express (ONE) introduced new dual-temperature reefer containers. Innovation extends to preservation, as seen in a February 2024 partnership for marine transport utilizing a novel electric field technology.
Sustainability Initiatives and Green Logistics are Becoming Core Business Strategy Imperatives in the Perishable Goods Transportation Market
Environmental responsibility is now a central pillar of logistics strategy. Companies are making substantial investments in sustainable practices and technologies. In a significant packaging innovation, FedEx introduced a new mushroom-based material in 2024 that completely decomposes in just 40 days. In the shipping sector, carrier Hapag-Lloyd’s adoption of more sustainable biofuels surpassed 200,000 tons leading up to 2024. The same company also joined the Green Corridor Consortium, an initiative aimed at reducing emissions on key shipping routes.
Corporate commitments and regulatory pressures are accelerating this green transition. Shipping giant Maersk has publicly set an ambitious target year of 2040 to achieve net-zero emissions across all of its global operations. Amazon has set a corporate goal to have 100% of its warehouses powered by renewable energy by 2030. XPO Logistics’ launch of new electric refrigerated trucks in October 2024 is another direct investment in a sustainable perishable goods transportation market. Furthermore, the European Union’s carbon tax on imports, set to take effect in 2025, will undoubtedly influence global logistics strategies.
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Emerging Product Categories and New Delivery Channels Signal Future Market Trajectories
The growth in demand is not uniform across the perishable goods transportation market. Wherein, specific product segments are creating new opportunities. The direct-to-consumer meal kit market saw substantial growth in 2024, driving innovation in last-mile cold chain solutions. Concurrently, new product categories like plant-based alternatives to traditional protein are cementing their presence within refrigerated transportation in 2025. Furthermore, the global trade of high-value and time-sensitive products, such as exotic fruits, was noted as an increasing driver for air freight demand in 2024, adding another dimension to the market.
Delivery channels are also transforming the perishable goods transportation market growth trajectory. In the U.S. online grocery market, delivery was the fastest-growing channel in mid-2025, with sales reaching $4.3 billion in July. Mobile technology is at the forefront of this trend. A September 2024 survey revealed that more than half of all U.S. consumers have now used a mobile app for a food delivery order, and nearly half of those users report ordering at least once per week.
Global Perishable Goods Transportation Market Major Players:
- A.P. Møller – Mærsk A/S
- Africa Express Line Limited
- Bay & Bay Transportation
- C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc
- CMA CGM Group (MERIT France SAS)
- DB Schenker
- Deutsche Post AG
- FST Logistics Inc
- Hapag-Lloyd AG
- Hellmann Worldwide Logistics SE and Co. KG
- K Line Logistics Ltd (Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd)
- Kuehne + Nagel International AG
- Orient Overseas Container Line Limited
- VersaCold Logistics Services
- Other Prominent Players
Key Market Segmentation:
By Type
- Dairy and Frozen Desserts
- Vegetables & Fruits
- MPS
- Bakery & Confectionery
By Mode of Transportation
- Rail Transportation
- Air Transportation
- Marine Transportation
- Road Transportation
By Region
- North America
- Europe
- Asia Pacific
- Middle East & Africa (MEA)
- South America
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