Sea Freight or Air Freight, What’s Best for Your Business?

Sea freight vs Air freight

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When you want to buy or transfer things from one part to the other part of the world, one of the vital things you need to consider is the means of transport.  Here, you will usually find two options, and these are air freight and sea freight. Deciding between these two is up to you and your business needs. Most of the time, the air medium is chosen considering the speed. When you are worried about the cost, choosing the seaways will be the right option. If you need to transfer the things within one or two weeks, it may not be possible with the sea medium.  

However, there are so many other critical things to note for the perfect selection. Are you now looking for the right medium? You have reached the right destination. Read further to discover more!

Note the Expenses

1. Note the expenses

Probably, the cost is the primary factor to consider when you need to choose or decide between the two options. As a business people considering the bottom line is crucial and even if it is the individuals, you need to ensure that expenses as per the budget. Naturally, you may know which will cost less comparatively. Yes!  As you think, shipping by the ocean will be cheaper when compared to the air medium. 

However, you have to learn certain things when you need to decide over international shipping or air freights. Airlines will bill you by what is called a chargeable weight. This chargeable weight will be calculated with the combination of the weight and size of the shipment. When it comes to sea carriers, you need to choose as per the container rates for shipping and comparing it with the standard containers. This proves that weight is the most important factor for the charges. If the shipping is less than a container load, your price is often determined using the cubic meter. When the shipment is getting reduced, the margin between the prices will also get reduced, and air will end up with less charge.

Value the Time

Businessman holding an hour glass, signifies the importance of being on time

When it comes to speed, without any doubts you need to prefer air freight. If you are a businessman for whom time is all about money, this factor could make up for the higher cost of the flying option.  Most sea shipment might take more than a month to arrive, but the air freights will take just one or two days to reach the destination. On the other hand, there is also another business where shipping is faster. If you are an individual who is looking for the option to move the household things, it is better to prefer the shipping medium.  Technology also rises in the shipping medium, and this advancement is beneficial several times. The ships move faster, and canals are created for reducing the shipping router for faster reach.

Ensure the Reliability

3. Ensure the reliability

Reliability is something crucial in any terms like the product, services, people, or business. Not how much the ocean freight and the air freight can stick up against each other in this category. Air freights are available with a short history when compared to the shipping, yet air freights will win in this battle. Though there are some factors to stop like weather, they tend to stick on to the schedule. The waterways freight is notorious for the negative side of these factors. If you are running the business where one of two delays leads to a huge loss, the air medium is preferable.

Focus on the Environmental Impacts

Environment Impact

Everything cannot be dumped only with the factors called convenience and bottom line. It is necessary to consider the social awareness of the environmental issues that will work to change the way the public will look at the business and the impacts you might have on the bottom line. Every individual is responsible for taking care of the planet and preserving the environment. In this case, the ocean freight will win the battle. 

When you consider the CO2 emission in the air freight, it is much larger in quantity comparing the ocean freight. So, the impact over the environment to have CO2 emission will be less with the cargo shipping by sea. However, there is a downside where the oil spill from the ships will seriously disturb the ocean ecosystem. The overall battle will raise the ocean freight, but ensure the safety and proper functioning of it.

Understand the Transparency Factor

6. Understand the transparency factor

Every individual or businessman will like to know the status of the goods at different times. When it comes to such transparency, the air freight is taken into account. Most airlines will allow you to track the vehicle from beginning to end. However, this is not possible to know the specific location of the ocean freight. However, there are several tracking websites and devices that can track the container that carries the goods, but you can have the information only from the carrier.

Consider the Product you Transfer

5. Consider the product you transfer

The products and goods that you are transferring is the other crucial thing you need to consider. Not all the products will be good when you store them for a longer time. Certain products may get a lack of quality or experience some other issues when it is stored and untouched for a long time.  Remember that the goods will be shield completely, and no one is going to open it unless it reaches the destination at the other end. So, if your goods or products get affected when it is untouched for a long time, it is better to choose the air medium.

Air Vs Ocean Freight: Choose the Preferred Option

7. Air vs Sea

For both the business and the individuals, it is vital to care for their goods. So, these are the critical aspects you need to focus on when you are transporting the things from one end to the other. Though technology is growing tremendously, there are also several downsides with the process. So, analyze the outcome with both the positive and the negative factors.

Visit VSL for further discussion for the transfer of the goods

We at VSL logistics are one of the leading services where you can find both the modes of transports for transporting the goods. We also have experts who can care for your goods and help you to make the right decision. So, you can immediately contact us and we can discuss both the mediums.  Based on the benefits and your preferences, you shall choose the right one and start with the goods transfer process. So, without any delays, visit us to make a hassle-free transport of goods to the destination.

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