It’s no secret that shipping is one of the most expensive parts of running an e-commerce business or any business that requires supplying products. But you know what? It doesn’t have to be. There are ways to cut your shipping costs and make it more efficient than ever before. But to do this, you need to understand the intricate details of freight shipping and factors that can influence shipping costs offered by freight carrier companies. Once you are armed with this information, you can use it to make key decisions that could influence your overhead shipping cost. For instance, there are periods when your preferred shipping companies will have a low volume of shipments. To make up for this low volume, they could be willing to add your shipments to their inventory for that period at a lower price.
Another thing you need to look out for is the discounts offered by different shipping companies so you can make a proper comparison. While discounts can vary based on your location and the type of service you need, one thing is certain: you will always find a good discount for freight shipping. You can click for freight carrier company that offers reasonable discount freight shipments.
With that in mind, here are essential things you need to know about freight shipping.
What Is Freight Shipping?
Freight shipping is the process of transporting cargo by air, land, or sea. It is typically used to move large quantities of manufactured goods and raw materials over long distances. Freight shipping can be done internationally or locally.
Mode of Freight Transportation
Ground freight transportation
This type of freight transportation is done by road. It is suitable for moving small or medium-sized packages within a region. It’s the cheapest mode of freight transportation in comparison to air and ocean freight. Ground freight transportation is said to be a fraction of other freight transportation.
Rail freight transportation
Rail freight can be used for larger goods traveling long-distance. The cost is usually higher than ground freight, but the delivery time is somewhat faster than ground freight. However, rail freight transportation is mostly used in combination with ground freight transportation.
Ocean freight transportation
Ocean freight is used by manufacturers transporting large goods internationally. Many companies have adopted it as a way to ship goods around the world because it’s the most economical way of transporting oversized freight. Ocean freight transportation can comfortably accommodate all sizes, weights, and shapes of freights.
Air freight transportation
This method is the fastest way of transporting freight internationally and locally. If you’re looking for overnight or 2 to 3 days freight delivery, then air freight transportation is what you need. Air freight transportation is suitable for businesses looking for urgent freight delivery due to their limited timeframe. However, this type of freight transportation can be a bit pricey depending on the size of the freight and freight class (how delicate or fragile the freight is)
Types Of Freight Shipments
Less-than-truckload LTL Less-than-truckload is the term used to refer to freight shipment quantities ranging from 150 pounds to 15,000 pounds. This type of shipping is often used for eCommerce deliveries. For LTL shipment, freight carriers combine various LTL freight from various customers before shipping out for delivery. In recent years, LTL shipments have been on the rise, with more and more eCommerce companies opting to ship their products with less-than-truckload carriers. LTL shipments provide faster delivery times and lower costs than other shipment methods.
Full truckload (FTL)
A full truckload is a shipment of freight that fills an entire trailer. This means one truck is wholly dedicated to a single shipment.
FTLs are usually used when the cargo needs to be delivered to its destination without delay and when the weight and size of the cargo do not require specialized equipment or handling. It’s suitable for freight weighing more than 15,000 pounds.
Partial truckload (PTL)
This shipment type is suitable for shipping freight weighing between 5,000 pounds to 38,000 pounds. It’s less expensive in comparison to a full truckload shipment.
Factors That Affect Freight Shipping Prices
The Size And Weight Of The Package: When calculating shipping cost, the dimensions, volume, and weight of the freight are used for price estimation. If the items are on the larger side, you’ll most likely pay more for your shipment.
The Distance The Package Will Travel:
If you plan on transporting your packages over a long distance, especially overseas, you’d surely be paying a lot compared to short-distance delivery across towns or between neighboring cities.
Mode of transport
From what we discussed earlier, you should know that the form of transportation medium your chosen freight company uses to deliver your shipment will also determine the price.
Who is a Freight Broker?
They are an intermediary between a freight service provider and a shipper. A freight broker can help you scan the market for affordable and reliable shipping companies. Your freight broker will compare shipping costs from various companies and help you choose the cheapest reliable shipping service available.
As you can see, there are many factors that determine the cost of shipping. Therefore, be sure to understand these factors and see how you can benefit from them.