Cargo Shipping Basics: What Shipping Method Is Best for Cargo and Freight

Airplanes can carry $4.8 billion of freight across the United States in a single month. This isn’t the only method of freight transportation, though. Shipping cargo is an integral part of the supply chain and worldwide logistics system. 

If you want to ship your freight and cargo effectively, you need to know all of your options. So the next time you need to move freight, consider these options. 

Air 

This is the most expensive method for transporting freight and cargo. However, it’s also the fastest. It’s also considered one of the most secure. 

When you deliver your cargo to the airport, it’s locked behind secure fencing and gates in a controlled area. There are no stops during the flight like there are with trains or trucks. Then when the plane arrives at the destination, the cargo stays secured until you come and pick it up. 

Train 

This is an affordable method of transport but is quite limited in where your cargo can go. Because trains require tracks, you’ll need to arrange for delivery and pickup from the train station. As a result, most people consider trains an outdated form of transport. 

Depending on what you are shipping, train transport can be a great option to save on your budget. However, you’ll need to put more effort into planning the transport because it requires more than one method. 

Truckload 

When you have a large amount of freight that needs to be moved from one state to another, you need a trucking cargo and freight company. These are companies that own large semi-trucks. You’ll pay the company to load your cargo and take it to its destination. 

Companies range in size from single owner-operator drivers to large national logistics companies. The company you choose will depend on your shipping needs. Intrastate vs interstate shipping dictates whether you’ll get a better rate with a small local company it a large national one. 

LTL

Sometimes, you may not have enough cargo to fill an entire truck. This is when you need less than load (LTL) shipping. You’ll hire a shipping company to put your cargo on a truck with other customers’ shipments. 

The shipper will pick up and deliver all of the shipments to each customer. This type of shipping can take a bit longer but can save you money by sharing the cost of the truck with the other shipments on the load. 

Ocean 

If you need to ship internationally, then you have two options, air or ocean cargo and freight services. If you have a more flexible timeline and don’t need the goods delivered right away, then ocean freight is a great alternative. It’s also more affordable. 

Cargo gets loaded into large metal boxes that are called containers. These are then stacked on supersized ships and moved across the world’s oceans. Depending on the origin and destination country, shipments can take weeks or months. 

Choose Your Method for Shipping Cargo

Choosing the right method when shipping cargo requires you to know your budget, timeline, and cargo volume. While there is no one best shipping method, you can choose the best option for each cargo shipment. 

Check out our other business articles and learn more about optimizing your supply chain logistics.