Now more than ever before, businesses and markets are expanding into different geographical areas. It’s common now to find even the smallest of businesses transporting their goods to different locations, locally, regionally, and globally. In fact, the freight forwarders network has a big role to play in facilitating global trade. As a business owner, you surely want the most convenient means of transportation that suits your needs and is reliable. Read on to find out more about the basic types of freight services!
Freight Services
There are 4 basic types of freight services that you’ll want to know more about:
1. Ground Freight
For small- and medium-sized goods to be transported within the same country, ground services are the most convenient. They typically involve trucking services which are considered the least expensive method of transporting different-sized parcels and/or containers. You’ll be paying a fraction of the costs of sea or air freights. This saves time, money, and almost any size item can fit in a truck. New technology incorporated into trucks has improved the safety factor. Reputable trucking services make safety a part of the entire culture of a company from CEOs and managers to mechanics and drivers.
Cost-wise, you’ll be paying a fraction of the costs of sea or air freights. Plus, you’ll be assured that a professional trucking company will handle your goods with care, experienced in driving on even difficult roads. Seeking the help of professional trucking companies is the best option because of the door-to-door services they provide, and you won’t be surprised by hidden fees. Additionally, satellites and GPS make the cargo easy to track.
2. Rail Freight
Larger goods can be handled by using rail freight transportation. There is always room for improvement in rail freight safety, such as local governments taking measures to ensure the packaging of certain dangerous goods complies with requirements.
Freight trains can also have their wagons assembled in a smarter way, such as having wagons carrying flammable goods away from wagons carrying flammable gases. Generally, they are cost-effective, but you will also need to use a ground freight to move goods from the rail station to their final destination which will drive up costs.
3. Ocean Freight
Sea freights have been used throughout history for overseas transport. They can accommodate all sizes, shapes, and weights of commodities. They are more economical than air freights but, as expected, they will have a slow delivery time. However, ships are faster now, and there are canal upgrades and shorter routes to take, as well as new technologies being used for ocean tracking. Ocean freights may tend to suffer from delays, from such things as port closures, which is another point of consideration. Ocean freights do have the advantage of producing less CO2 emissions compared to air freights, improving the overall safety of ocean freights.
4. Airfreight
It’s the quickest and costliest method of transporting. If the cost of shipping is less than 15-20% of the goods’ value, it could be the best method to use. There is a consistency of arrival and departure times.
However, there are numerous items that are prohibited. Some of these items are obvious, such as gases or public health risks. Other items may not be as obvious, such as perfumes or light bulbs. Lithium batteries and cheap knockoffs tend to be a persistent problem in air freight transportation, which is being addressed with stricter rules. You need to be clear on the nature of your cargo when choosing an air freight provider. It’s also not feasible to use them for low-value products, because the costs are just too expensive.
A freight forwarder must have the experience needed to handle transporting goods. This experience is needed when freights have to reroute cargos or iron out warehouse issues and logistics. You want to use a service that addresses your unique needs and walks you through the process for a safe and precise pickup and delivery of your goods.