As with all things, there are always the pros and cons. And like any other things, it’s up to you to weigh the options. In the field of transport, cargo and logistics, we all know that sea freight and air freight services have been trying to outdo each other as the forwarding method of choice for almost 100 years. Businesses and their offshore back office solutions partners are always checking the advantages and disadvantages of each mode of transport in order to make an educated decision in choosing the best freight service for the goods they aim to deliver.
It is by knowing how certain factors may have an impact on your business that back office offshoring solutions are able to choose if they are going to send out your goods by sea or by air. If budget or the amount of volume is concerned, sea freight is often the choice.
Below are four advantages of sea freight and why most businesses choose to ferry their goods via the ocean.
More Affordable
Maintaining low costs is always an objective for many business owners. Competing environments demand businesses to reduce their freight costs to make their products affordable for the consumers. This often means that those who manage freight and logistics must make a wise decision on whether to use sea freight services or air freight services to deliver their products. Factors related to cost, which includes transportation, detention, and storage are often negatively affected if the mode of transportation is not carefully selected or used. Since bulk shipments by sea are more flexible, sea freight will give you economic solutions for your shipping needs. Unless time constraints are the issue (air takes this one hands down) sea freight is the way to go.
Gives You More Time to Handle Your Documents
How your company handles documents plays a crucial role in both air and sea shipment. Being complete, accurate, and timely in your documentation ensures timely delivery. Air freight may be the fastest way of shipping goods – but, unless your shipping partner has an automated system for filing documents, you may still experience delays. These delays may even beat the purpose of why you chose to ship by plane in the first place. Longer sea freight time, on the other hand, gives you ample time to process important documents while the shipment is en route.
Larger Volume, Bigger Shipments, and Fewer Size Constraints
The availability of space for your cargo may be a major challenge when you are trying to choose if you are going to send the goods by ship or by plane. Planes usually have strict size and weight limitations, while ships may offer you much more flexibility when it comes to size, weight, and dimensions of the cargo you are shipping.
Greener and More Sustainable Solutions
Companies are now focusing on the environmental impact of their business processes – and this includes how they ship their goods. Shipping by plane emits a higher amount of polluting gases for a limited size of shipment as compared to sea freight. By choosing sea freight over air freight, businesses can reduce their carbon footprint.
Choosing whether you would go with sea or air freight services depends on whether your business prioritizes time over cost, as well as the volume that needs to be shipped over speed. That is why you should always check the costing, the time it takes for documentation, flexibility, and space for cargo, and the environmental impact of your mode of shipping before you decide if you are going to ship by sea or by air.
