When you need to ship your company’s product, the question becomes what is the best way to go about it. There are four primary methods of shipping your goods. Not every product can be shipped using all four methods, but most products can be shipped at least two different ways, so it is important to know the differences between them and make an educated choice.
Air Transportation
Air transportation is always the fastest way to ship anything, but it is also the most expensive. However, depending upon the weight of your products, this may not be a big problem. When you factor in the cost savings for shipping something by ocean or land, the increase in cost per unit may not be enough to steer you away from air transportation. In fact, the speed difference may make it worth the slightly higher cost. Of course, if you have products that have a limited shelf life or any time constraints associated with them, air is likely the method to choose. In addition, you should also be aware that certain products may not be eligible for air shipping. Certain chemicals, for example, may not be allowed in aircraft for various reasons.
Sea Transportation
Shipping by over the ocean is slow, but cheap, so if you have the time, this is often the lowest cost method. It is the only alternative for shipping to many foreign nations as well as importing from foreign nations. Large containers are used to ship goods by boat. These containers are of a standard size and are shipped in large numbers, thereby reducing the cost of shipping by sea to the minimum. These containers can then be loaded to trucks or rail for their final destination.
Rail Transportation
Shipping your goods by train is cheaper than shipping by air, and it is one of two alternatives to moving your products by air with the nation. Rail transportation is ideal for very heavy goods that are more difficult to transport by truck. It can also be easier to transport certain chemicals and other dangerous substances by rail than truck due to safety regulations. The biggest issue with shipping by rail is that it will seldom get your goods to their final destination, so you will still need to use trucks.
Truck transportation
This has been one of the most efficient ways to ship most products for decades. A truck can often deliver goods to the precise destination that you want. In addition, there are various truck sizes, so it is possible to ship items as large as automobiles and even larger. Like rail transportation, this type of shipping is slower than air shipping, but this is only an issue when shipping from one coast to another. Nonetheless, the time it takes to ship across the United States is still less than shipping across the Pacific ocean. For a business that needs a trucking company with a large fleet, these companies are available.
Choosing the best method of transportation for your business’s products is not necessarily easy, because there are other issues besides price. What you are trying to ship, how quickly you wan tot ship it and where you want to ship it are all important factors.