What Is the Optimal Shipping Method for Your Business?

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One of the most interesting traits of the modern business world is the fact that it is highly globalized. Sure, even in the past, major conglomerates had overseas manufacturers, but these days even startups and SMBs find it more cost-effective to order their products half-way across the globe. This, however, brings a wide array of new logistical problems, seeing how one needs to figure out the most effective way to go about the shipment of these items and their warehouse storage. When it comes to the problem that we’ve mentioned first, here are some facts that might help you find the optimal shipping method for your business.

Consider the invariable factors

When choosing the most suitable means of transportation you need to take into consideration some invariable factors like the location, the nature of the items and the urgency of delivery. Aside from these, you also need to keep in mind that different means of transportation have different fees, which is why your current budget is another one of these factors you need to consider. In the end, quicker solutions will inevitably be more expensive, but if there is an urgent deadline to be met, missing it might turn out to be even costlier.

Air and sea shipments

Speaking about transportation from one end of the world to another, in a case where we are talking about different continents, air and sea shipments are the only two choices. As you might have guessed, when it comes to time-sensitive exports the air shipment is definitely a superior option. Depending on the weight of the freight you should check if the company imposes a size limit, although most of them don’t. Finally, in the 21^st century, the great majority of companies offer the option of tracking your cargo via an online platform, which can seem quite reassuring.

As for sea shipping, it is a preferable option for those who don’t expect urgent delivery, but are interested in moving large quantities of items across the globe. For example, these days, it takes about 10-12 days to reach the United States from Europe.

Truck and rail

Next, you need to keep in mind that, although air and sea shipments may be superior in many ways, they usually need to be supported by a truck and rail transportation as well. You see, both airplanes and ships move only from airport to airport/from port to port. From there, you need an alternative means of transportation for your goods, which is where truck and rail come in. The winning feature of the truck is the speed of the delivery while railroad transportation excels over large distances or when shipping huge amounts of goods. Still, the railroad system is also terminal-based, which means that it might not always be the best solution.

Container matters

Finally, no matter what kind of transportation you have in mind, you will have to find an adequate container for your goods. As we’ve already mentioned, sea voyage may be weeks long, which means that a lot of things can happen along the way. Storms and shifting weather conditions can be particularly troublesome, but this can be avoided with the right choice of shipping containers. All you need to do here is look for Sea Containers Australia and see how sometimes renting a container might be preferable to actually buying one.

As you can see, choosing an optimal shipping method requires you to do your fair share of research on the topic. To make the long story short, the items that need to be moved quickly should probably be moved by air and then by truck. On the other hand, if the quantity (and not time) is the key factor here, it is probably best to go with a sea-railroad combination. One thing is certain, the way in which you handle these logistic issues will greatly influence the overall success of your company.

Also read: The 5 Secrets of Productivity in Logistics – Infographic

Diana Smith is a full time mom of two beautiful girls interested in topics related to business and technology. In her free time she enjoys exploring new low cost advertising opportunities.