Delivery of goods may be the last part of the production cycle, but it is the most crucial. To ensure customer satisfaction and repeat business, products must reach their destinations in pristine condition. A business, whether involved in manufacturing or retail, needs a reliable freight company to deliver its products safely and on time.
Sea or Air Freight? Choosing the Best Freight Service For Your Business Needs
Once you have chosen a dependable Freight Services company, your next choice would be selecting the best freight service for your needs. Often, you will be faced with two options, sea freight or air freight? Both modes of delivery have their merits, but only one would best fit your needs at a given time.
Sea or Air Freight?
Here are some factors to consider in choosing the best freight service for your company:
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Speed of Delivery
Without a doubt, airfreight is the fastest way to bring your goods to their destination. It is especially true for long distances, such as overseas. Some businesses put a premium on time rather than the cost. The speed of delivery may make up for the higher value of air cargo. If there is an urgent need for the products, like in the case of perishable food or medicines, then airfreight is the way to go. Products sent by air only take a few days as opposed to products sent by sea, which often take weeks.
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Cost
Any entrepreneur knows that cost is an essential part of any business. It is a solid determiner of the success of the enterprise. Budget is often a primary consideration in many decisions, including Freight Services.
A popular notion states that sea freight is cheaper than air freight. While this happens most of the time, there are times when it isn’t necessarily the case. To make an informed decision, it helps if you arm yourself with data on how freight companies charge for international shipping. Airlines bill by chargeable weight and calculate using the weight and size of cargo.
On the other hand, ocean carriers require that the goods are inside standard shipping containers. Common container sizes are 20-footer and 40-footer, and each one has a corresponding rate. If your products could not fill a container van, your price is then calculated per cubic meter.
Shipping by sea is recommended if you have large and heavy cargo. For smaller and lighter shipments, sending by air will be less expensive.
In computing for the final cost of shipment, also consider the destination charges. Shipping either by air or sea entails customs and destination fees. Also, check for the warehousing fees at seaports and airports and factor those in.
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Nature of Your Materials
Some materials are not allowed on an airplane, no matter the circumstances. Check the following list of hazardous materials that are prohibited on air freight:
- Flammable materials like perfume
- Gases such as lamp bulbs
- Oxidizers and biochemical products
- Toxic or corrosive items like batteries
- Public health risk items which include untanned hides
- Magnetic substances such as speakers
In today’s economy, the whole world is a potential market for any business. Freight companies make it possible to reach out to almost anybody around the globe. And with regard to the options for the mode of transport, the sky’s the limit.