If you are unfamiliar with the phrase 'freight shipping', you might find yourself thinking that it has something to do with movement of goods by sea using ships. The truth is, to a certain extent, you would still be right. This is because initially, freight shipping was a reference to the movement of goods and cargo using ships. However, later on, the term was extended to refer to the movement of goods through any means, be it sea, land, or air.
Types of Freight Shipping
More often than not, more
than one mode of shipping is required to get cargo from its origin to the
desired destination, which is called intermodal freight shipping. On the other
hand, the use of a single mode of transport from the origin to the final
destination is called multimodal transport. Consequently, a freight shipping
company can dabble in any of these forms of transport, although it is also
possible to find a freight services provider who specializes in a particular
form of transport, for instance land transport.
Land
In land freight shipping,
shipments are moved on land using trains or trucks. Land transport serves a big
role as a link between air and sea transportation and the destination or the
origin. For instance, the goods warehouse may be some distance aware from the
seaport or the airport, which means that land transport has to be used given
its better penetration in comparison to either sea or air transport modes.
Still, land transport can be used independently to move the goods from the
shipper's place to the destination, a process referred to as door-to-door
shipping. Furthermore, land transport is much cheaper than air transport, but
is more expensive than sea transport.
Air
Transport of goods through
air is done using specialized cargo planes and through passenger planes through
their luggage compartments. Although air transport is the fastest mode of
transport, it is also the most expensive. Consequently, it is normally used
where it is the more effective than either land or sea, or when the goods in
question are light or needed urgently, or if the goods have considerable
monetary value.
Sea
In the sea, shipping is done
using actual ships. This mode actually accounts for a large percentage of
shipments and is literally the mainstay of global economy since it accounts for
about 90% of international trade. Although it is a slow form of transport,
usually taking months or weeks for ships to arrive from one seaport to another,
it is also the cheapest mode of transport and the most appropriate for shipping
bulk cargo.
Freight Shipping Companies
Freight shipping
companies avail cargo transport services to consumers. Some of these
companies have global operations, usually shipping goods to over a hundred
countries. Each of these companies offers particular benefits with regard to
cost effectiveness, speed of delivery, and presence of their operations in the
desired locations of origin and destination of goods.
Shipping Process
Basically, the process of
shipping goods involves preparation of the goods through packaging, proper labelling,
and completion of a bill of lading, which is a contract between the owner of the
goods and the entity entrusted with the transportation of the goods to a
particular destination. After the goods arrive, you have to arrange for their
pickup and delivery to final destination, which completes the shipping process.
Most freight shipping companies also offer you a service that allows you to
track your package as it moves to its destination, as well as insurance to act
as a safeguard against loss or damage to the goods being shipped.
