This study presents a number of aspects and perspectives to consider when identifying private companies of importance when planning for total defence. The perspectives could be used by the Swedish Transport Administration to identify companies within the transportation sector in their planning. There are several possible aspects to consider when identifying such companies, for example the companies' function in the transportation system, and the context in which they operate. It is possible to approach the identification in more than one way by combining several perspectives. Common perspectives in the data analysed in this study consider in what way the businesses are needed during a societal disruption, and that others are dependent on them. Some perspectives even contribute to the exclusion of companies that are either exchangeable or unsuitable for security reasons. Lastly, when identifying suitable companies, the context in terms of threat, time perspective or geography also need to be taken into consideration.