New Zealand's freight and supply chain system faces substantial changes over the coming years, including from climate change, geopolitical volatility, new technologies, and growing population and densification. There are also endemic problems in the system that prevent it from functioning optimally.

The strategy articulates a long-term vision for the freight and supply chain to be:

• underpinned by zero emissions freight transport
• resilient, reliable, and prepared for potential disruptions
• highly productive and efficient.

It outlines what needs to be done over three time-horizons:

• 30-year horizon: a set of enduring principles guiding how the government and sector stakeholders should approach the freight and supply chains system
• 10-year horizon: the strategic goals to guide what changes have to happen over the next decade
• three-year horizon: a collaborative approach to sequencing implementation in the first three years, which identifies initial priorities to focus on to meet the strategic goals.