The sustainability of international transport remains a critical topic of concern in both theory and practice. Ideally, scientific literature should align with practical needs, but such concurrence is not always present. This disparity is also evident in the specific issue of consignment delivery, which is currently of a great practical importance but lacks sufficient coverage in scientific literature. This paper aims to analyse current trends in maritime transport and their relevance to achieving global sustainability in international transportation. Additionally, it seeks to compare these findings with the practical needs and requirements of the industry, in order to provide constructive recommendations for further research. To accomplish this objective, a bibliometric analysis was conducted using scientific databases, including Web of Science and/or SCOPUS.