Again, you're doing a good job out outlining the problem.
That's only a problem in the eyes of some players. And functionally, it's not a problem of
game design, simply one of preference.
Pragmatically speaking, however, I don't think people have really considered the true problem. What people
want is complex organic pvp. What they would most likely get instead is traders in shield-tanked cutters being escorted by interdictors in speed-built vipers. The enemy interdicts the cutter, the viper interdicts the enemy, canceling their own interdiction and trapping them. The cutter lands uninterrupted while the viper dances around the pvp build. The cutter high wakes away from the station, unharmed.
With engineering, pvp simply takes too long to play a part in any sort of efficient hauling process. In fact, in
any part of the game.
Even with ideas like having npcs to drop off at, pvp still wouldn't practically happen. Since the sole focus is on the trader, and player death is irrelevant, it would either reach a state where hauling is impossible due to the instant death caused by the defending players, or hauling is unstoppable because the cutters have so many shields they're unkillable before finishing their mission.
Pvp in this game simply isn't built well to organically integrate with any other aspect of the game. You only have to look at literally every other part of the game to see this is true. Pvp doesn't make sense in conflict zones, it doesn't make sense in trade, it doesn't make sense
anywhere.