While considering goods transportation all around the globe, choices concerning air freight and sea freight do get tricky. Knowing the actual differences between them will help you make the right choice.
Here is an insight into what is air freight and sea freight, what factors affect the decision between air and ocean freight, how long does sea freight shipping take, and how fast is air freight!
What Is Air and Sea Freight Services?
Air freight refers to the transportation of cargo by air. It’s the fastest mode of delivery of cargo and often involves the transportation of high-value or perishable goods. Air freight shipping provides rapid delivery, though at a high cost.
Sea Freight is a method of shipment by water using cargo vessels. It is cheaper than air freight and can be used for high quantities of cargo. There are two types of sea freight services: FCL and LCL. These provide different kinds of services to meet varied shipping requirements.
Significant Factors To Be Considered While Shipping
The goods can be shipped based on various factors, such as cost, speed, type of cargo, and destination.
Here is the detail on that:
- Cost: The cost of shipping is generally one of the prime factors. The air freight rate will generally tend to be higher than the sea freight rate, but that is generally based on the requirements of the shipment. Therefore, it is very important to understand the air freight charges per kg and sea freight rates per kg while drafting the budget.
- Speed: A shipment through air freight is pretty fast. On the other hand, sea freight is slower and more economical than air freight.
- Type of cargo: Different cargo types may prefer one means of transport over the other. For example, perishable goods may be transported using air freight due to its speed.
- Destination: The accessibility to the ports and airports may also influence your choice. International sea freight shipping has to be done through the seaports, while air shipping requires access to an airport.
Pros and Cons
Here is a sneak peek into air vs ocean freight:
Air Freight:
Pros:
- Speed: Fastest mode of transportation.
- Safety: Fewer breakages and thefts due to less transit time
- Reliability: Less prone to weather conditions than sea freight
Cons:
- Cost: Higher air freight charges compared to sea freight
- Capacity: Not ideal for large shipments
- Environmental Impact: More carbon emissions compared to sea transport
Sea Freight:
Pros:
- Cost-effective: It’s cheap for a large or heavy shipment and is less expensive than air cargo freight charges.
- Capacity: Holds large volumes of oversized cargo.
- Eco-Friendly: More environmentally friendly than air freight.
Cons:
- Speed: The transit time is longer, which may affect the shipments with a desired time value.
- Risks of Delays: More prone to weather-related disturbances.
- Complexity: Additional logistics and handling.
What would be the best mode of transportation?
The choice between air and sea freight services goes down to what you need.
- Air Freight: Perfect for sending urgent consignments and high-value goods. This is the solution in terms of delivering your goods to their destination in the nick of time across the globe. However, it can also be very expensive at times; for instance, air freight cargo rates are higher than sea freight.
- Sea Freight: This is ideal for bulk products or products that are not in a hurry to reach their target market. As we have already discussed, it is relatively cheap, even for large shipments. Even if it takes longer, sea freight is favorable for most companies.
Considerations to Make When Deciding Between Sea Freight and Air Freight
The following factors should be paramount when choosing between air freight and sea freight:
- Urgency: Choose air freight when the goods need to reach their destination quickly. Choose sea freight when the shipment is non-urgent, and you want to save money.
- Budget: Wondering, is it cheaper to ship by air or sea? For that, you need to review the budget you have to ship your cargo and evaluate air freight prices and sea freight calculations. The air freight charges are high, but in some cases, spending might be justified because of the faster delivery.
- Cargo Nature: High-value or perishable means probably air freight; bulky and not so urgent, then by sea.
- Destination: Consider the infrastructure available at your destination. If it’s more accessible by sea or air, that might affect your decision.
One might question, what is air freight alternative?
It’s simple. You can opt for rail freight, road freight, or, ocean freight.
Reliance Freight Systems: Your Trusted Partner in Air and Sea Freight Services
Reliance Freight Systems is a freight forwarding company offering a vast array of air and sea freight services, such as:
- Air Freight
- Ocean Freight
- Consolidation
- Customs Clearance
- Logistics and Distribution
- Project Forwarding
Our air and sea freight services ensure safety and on-time delivery. Our professionals will help you choose the best transportation method for your needs and offer competitive air freight and sea freight rates.
