When shipping a product, there are four options available – land/ground, sea, rail, and air. Each option presents its own benefits and risks. The option you choose should be determined after considering a variety of factors. No matter if you are shipping globally or domestically, you should be able to find a shipping option that best suits your company’s goals.
Comparing Different Options
Consider the pros and cons of the various shipping options.
- Ground Shipping
- Is very cost effective
- Perfect for shorter distances
- Quick delivery
- A good option for transporting products that require temperature control
- Shipments can be delayed because of traffic, bad weather, or mechanical issues
- Sea Shipping
- Good option for transporting heavier or bulkier items
- Better for products with long lead times
- Seasonal and volume advantages to pricing
- More difficult to track
- Susceptible to delays via foreign customs and weather
- Rail Shipping
- Relatable to ground shipping in terms of delivery times; typically, only a few days more
- Can be more cost effective than ground shipping
- Very reliable
- Inconvenient delivery options – ground shipping may still have to be utilized to get the shipment to a supplier
- Air Shipping
- Quickest delivery option available, typically only taking a day or two
- Convenient pickup options at airports
- Very costly
- Susceptible to delays via foreign customs and weather
Choosing A Shipping Option
The shipping option you choose should be based on a variety of factors, including the service level and price point you wish to achieve. You should also consider whether your product needs to be temperature controlled or not. You’ll want to choose shipping options and packaging that ensure your shipment will arrive at its destination safely. Sue Lee from World Courier states, “Customers should be looking fat passive packaging solutions like phase-change material. Passive packaging allows for more precision and temperature control and maintains product stability over long distances and through extreme climates.”
If your shipment does need to be temperature controlled you should be sure that a passive packaging option, such as insulating cargo blankets, is available.
