The 3 Main Types of Freight Transportation

What Is Freight Transportation?

A vehicle is needed to transport goods. What can you do when you don’t have a vehicle large enough to transport all of your goods? What if you don’t have a vehicle that is big enough to transport all your products? Transportation services solve the problem and are the core of freight transportation.

Transporting goods and products, such as cargo, from one location to another is called freight transportation. Freight shipping is a part of all supply chain and logistic systems. These systems can easily move goods from one place to another, to a warehouse, to a customer, or to other businesses.

Freight transportation is divided into several types. Transporting freight, or goods or cargo, by air, land, or sea is possible. It is important to choose the best type of transport for your business in order to get your goods delivered quickly, accurately, and conveniently.

It can be difficult and time-consuming to deal with freight transport companies. This guide is for anyone who wants to learn more about freight logistics, or just want to know how to manage freight better.

Find out which type of freight transport is best for your business.

What Are The Three Main Types Of Freight Transportation?

The three types of freight transport are available to businesses that need to transport goods and products. What are the different types? Air freight, ocean cargo, and trucking freight are the main types of transportation, each offering distinct benefits.

It is crucial to identify the best option for your company in order to maximize its benefits. To make the right decision, you need to consider several factors. These include the cost of transportation, the size, weight, and value of your goods and the urgency.

Before making a choice, let’s look at what each type of freight transport can offer in terms of benefits and drawbacks.

Air Freight

You should first understand what air freight actually is.

The shipment or transport of goods or freight via air carriers or planes is known as air freight. Air freight is an important mode of transportation because its scope is greater than other modes. Air freight is used by supply chain systems which rely and demand speedy transport services.

Air freight is a popular choice for many companies due to the shorter transit times. Perishables like food, medications and retail products are all transported by air freight. Air freight is known for its speed. This quick service allows companies to replenish their inventory easily, reduce costs, and increase profits.

Air Freight: Benefits and Advantages

• It is ideal for perishables because of its significantly shorter transit time.
• Service reliability is high, since planes follow a set schedule
• The level of security and protection is increased to maintain the quality and quantity of products and cargo.
• Documentation is minimal
• Reduced cargo handling
• Wide range of services that allows you to send cargo almost anywhere

The Shortcomings of Air Freight

• The most expensive freight transport due to higher fuel costs and additional expenses such as tickets and fees
• Weather conditions may affect the outcome.
• Batteries and explosives are included in the strict product restrictions
• It is not suitable for large and heavy cargo because of its size and weight restrictions

Ocean Freight

Ocean freight is used by many industries to transport goods. What is ocean freight?

Ocean freight, also known as maritime freight or ship freight transport, uses sea vessels to transport cargo. Ocean freight is often used by businesses who ship heavy items in bulk because ships can transport large quantities of cargo at a lower cost. Ocean freight is used by companies that ship building supplies, engines and metals. They also transport animals and livestock. Sea freight is also used to transport agricultural products, wet bulk goods like petroleum and even animals.

Ocean freight is a good option for shipping heavy loads, but it can take a long time to arrive.

Ocean Freight: Benefits and Advantages

• Transporting large, heavy, and bulky cargo
• Ocean freight is four times cheaper than air freight for long-distance shipping.
• Ship containers designed to carry hazardous cargo and large loads.
• Environment-friendly, with ships being the mode of transport with the lowest carbon footprint

Ocean Freight: Its Shortcomings

• Ocean freight is slow and time-consuming, so it’s only suitable for those who have a long lead-time.
• It can be difficult to track the progress of a shipment
• Cargo requires additional land transport to reach final destination
• Risk of increased risk due to possible sinking of sea vessels
• Lack of infrastructure such as terminals and ports

Truck Freight

What is trucking freight?

The most common form of freight transport is truck freight. Truck freight is also known as road freight. It’s the best choice for businesses that need to deliver goods quickly, whether it be directly to an end-customer, a warehouse or a business.

Road freight is used by many industries, including agriculture, eCommerce and grocery. Freight trucks can transport heavy and large loads because they are sturdy and secure. There are many different sizes and types to suit your needs. Truck freight is equipped to handle possible delays and ensure a smooth transfer of goods or products across state lines or internationally.

Benefits of Road Freight

• The best freight rates and most economical transport services
• Freight trucks are flexible, accommodating local, overseas, and long-and short-haul delivery.
• Convenient door-to-door delivery services
• Delivery is quick, especially for small cargoes.
• The tracking system allows both the end-customer and business to easily track and trace their shipment.

The Road Freight Industry: Its Shortcomings

• Weather conditions and unexpected circumstances can cause delays on the road
• Contributes to road traffic
• Risks increased due to insufficient control of the handling of your goods
• Consideration of truck weight and size in relation to state laws
• Less environmental-friendly compared to other freight transportation types

Pikpak Makes The Freight Journey Easy

Supply chain management is a complex process with many facets. It takes careful management and coordination to choose the best type of freight transportation for your business.

Pikpak is the leading Freight Management Services platform in Australia. It offers a multi-carrier, one-stop freight management solution that addresses all of your supply chain issues. Over 150 freight carriers are integrated into the platform, giving you a variety of options. We also allows you to integrate with other freight carriers. You can use a freight carrier that’s not yet in our system. Just let us know and we will make it work.

The tip of the iceberg is freight transportation. We makes freight simple, easy and efficient. We offers real-time online quoting and allows you to compare different freight carriers. It also lets you track and trace your shipment.

Are you overwhelmed by the logistics management? We can help! Pikpak  is an Australian freight management software that automates and digitises the distribution of your goods.

We allows you to manage your freight journey efficiently and with ease.