Sean Carter
When you’re opening a business that deals with goods, most of the time you have to consider how these goods will be transported. A lot of this need to be taken into consideration, and the logistics involved in transporting goods might be a headache for some. Fortunately, there are various options available to you. Some methods might work better than others, but the good thing is this: as long as you know the ins and outs of what kind of product you are dealing in, the answer pretty much presents itself.
This is one of the most common methods of transporting goods, especially in industrialized areas. Even if you dabble in international shipping through air or sea, you still have to rely on trucking services to get your goods to the airport or the port. It’s basically the simplest way of transporting product, and if you live in huge cities and industrialized areas, it’s still the most reliable method of transportation. The size of your shipment will determine the kind of transport you need, whether it’s less-than-truckload (LTL) or truckload (TL) freight.
Shipping goods by rail is another popular option for business-owners. It is a speedy means of transporting goods to large areas, especially in less-industrialized areas granted they have access to a railway system. Aside from being speedy, it’s also environmentally friendly and is not always subject for delays. The downside is, it can be quite expensive. And that’s another thing you have to think about if you’re thinking of transporting goods by rail. Is it worth it?
Shipping by air is one of the options if you want to transport your goods internationally, especially to major countries. However, while the transport itself is fast, it can be subject to delays depending on weather conditions and other outside factors. It is also not the most environmentally-friendly option, so if your business heralds itself as being environmentally-friendly, you might want to think twice about picking this particular method of transport. It can also be quite expensive, since air shipping companies mostly charge by the kilogram.
Ocean shipping accounts for 90% of the world’s trade and is the most widely used method of transporting products whether internationally or locally. It is the slowest option of transporting goods, but it is also the most cost-effective. It is ideal in transporting heavy and bulky goods, and it is suitable for products with long lead times. However, delivery times take longer than usual and you have to also take into account the weather conditions when transporting your product. Also, you have to be aware of some custom restrictions in some places, as well as the fact that you can’t really keep track of your goods while in transit
