Land, Air, or Sea: Picking the Best Freight Option

It's a question that every business faces at some point: what's the best way to ship my products? Whether you're looking to send a few boxes across town or send a truckload of goods across the country, there are a lot of factors to consider. Here, we'll take a look at land, air, and sea freight and see which option is best for your business.

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Factors to Consider When Choosing a Freight Option?

Speed

Air freight is usually the fastest mode of transportation, making it a great choice for time-sensitive shipments. Sea and ocean freight usually take longer to transport goods, but they can be more cost-effective when shipping in bulk.

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Cost

Air freight tends to be more expensive than sea or ocean freight due to its speed and convenience. However, air freight may be cheaper if you’re shipping a small shipment as air cargo planes tend to have lower capacity than traditional cargo ships.

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Environmental Impact

Air and ocean freight are both fuel-intensive modes of transport and have an impact on the environment. If your business is looking for a more eco-friendly option then the sea or ocean freight may be the best choice as it often requires less fuel to transport goods.

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Security

Air freight is often the most secure option as air cargo planes can be more heavily monitored and tracked than maritime vessels. If you’re shipping valuable or sensitive items, air freight may be your best choice for added security.

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Related: Cross Border Shipping Guide: Mistakes and Pitfalls to Avoid

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What is Air Freight?

Air freight, also known as air cargo or air mail, is a service that uses aircraft to transport goods and products from one place to another. It is typically used for quick delivery and can often be the cheapest way to ship goods over long distances in a short amount of time.

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Air freight - Pros and Cons

Pros:

- Fastest mode of transport:  air freight is usually the quickest way to transport goods, making it ideal for time-sensitive shipments.

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- Cost-effective: air freight can be cost-effective if you’re shipping a small shipment as air cargo planes tend to have lower capacity than traditional cargo ships.

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Cons:

- Expensive: air freight tends to be more expensive than sea or ocean freight due to its speed and convenience.

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- Environmental impact: air and ocean freights are both fuel-intensive modes of transport and have an impact on the environment. If your business is looking for a more eco-friendly option then the sea or ocean freight may be the best choice as it often requires less fuel to transport goods

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Related: 4 Crucial Criteria To Consider When Picking A Shipping Carrier

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What is Sea Freight?

Sea freight, also known as ocean freight or water shipping, is a method of transporting goods across oceans using large ships. It can take longer than air freight but it offers an economical way of shipping large-volume orders at low costs.

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Sea freight - Pros and Cons

Pros:

- Cost-effective: sea freight is usually the most economical way to transport goods over large distances, making it a great option for businesses looking to ship large orders.

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- Eco-friendly: ocean freight often requires less fuel than air freight, making it more environmentally friendly.

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Cons:

- Slower: sea and ocean freight can take longer to transport goods, which can be an issue if you’re shipping time-sensitive items.

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- Security: air freight is often the most secure option as air cargo planes can be more heavily monitored and tracked than maritime vessels. If you’re shipping valuable or sensitive items, air freight may be your best choice for added security.

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What is Land Freight?

Land freight is a method of shipping goods and materials over land, via truck or rail. It can be more cost-effective than air freight for shorter distances, and it is often the only option when shipping large items that don’t fit within air cargo or ocean vessel dimensions.

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Land freight - Pros and Cons

Pros:

- Low cost:  land freight is often cheaper than air, sea, or ocean freight.

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- Faster delivery: land transportation is the fastest mode of transport over short distances.

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- Flexible: land freights can move goods to and from multiple locations quickly and easily.

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Cons:

- Limited capacity: land transporters tend to have limited capacity when compared to air and maritime vessels.

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- Not suitable for long distances: land freight is not a viable option for long-distance shipments.

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- Slower delivery times: due to traffic congestion, land freight may sometimes take longer than air or sea freight.

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Where air freight shipment relies on planes, cargo on land usually relies upon a mixture of trains and trucks to get where they need to go. Thanks to this, it’s usually a cheaper alternative to air shipment or water shipment, and it takes no more than a couple weeks to deliver. There are two most important terms related to the land shipment that you should know, however: LTL and FTL.

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LTL- stands for “Less Than Truck-Load” and is best for shipments with comparatively lesser weight (i.e. shipments in excess of 200-250 pounds).

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FTL- stands for “Full Truck-Load” and is best for shipments bulkier and heavier than about 15,000 pounds or so.

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Related: Shipping Insurance Guide: Coverage and Costs

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How to Choose the Best Freight Option for Your Needs?

When choosing the best freight option for your needs, you should consider factors such as cost, speed, security, and environmental impact. You may find that air or land freight is cheaper for shorter distances or smaller orders; however, sea or ocean freight may be more cost-effective for larger shipments over long distances.

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Additionally, air cargo can be more secure than maritime vessels and can offer faster delivery times. Ultimately it’s important to weigh all of your options carefully before making a decision.

Ultimately, understanding the differences between air, sea, and land freights will help you make an informed decision on what type of shipping method is right for you. Each has its pros and cons so it’s important to compare the options in terms of cost, speed, security, and environmental impact before making a decision. By doing so, you can ensure that your goods are transported safely and efficiently.

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Other negatives of shipping by water include slower shipment speeds and a greater reliance on good weather conditions, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth it. On the contrary, this type of freight shipment is great thanks to its eco-friendliness and the overall care put into it. It’s just a matter of deciding what’s most important to you and your eCommerce business.

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Related: UPS Ground Vs. USPS Ground: Shipping Speeds, Prices & More

Conclusion

So, what's the best way to get your cargo from point A to point B? It depends on what you're shipping and where it needs to go. For example, if you're looking to save money on shipping costs for eCommerce orders, maritime transportation may be a good option. But if you need something delivered quickly and securely, air freight might be the better choice. No matter what mode of transportation you choose, make sure you do your research and find a company that can meet your specific needs. Contact Simpl today for assistance with reducing shipping costs for your business!

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Next article: Importance of Freight Forwarding in your Business