Types of Freight Forwarding Services
Freight forwarding or cargo transportation companies are used by businesses to sort their logistics needs. These companies move goods from supplier to business or even to consumer. Cargo transport companies are cost-effective and efficient. These companies help with all documentation for your goods and also offer insurance coverage.
The type of business you run or the type of goods you’re transporting would help determine the freight forwarding service you should use. The various cargo transportation services are based on the medium used to transport them to their destinations. They include:
- Road Transport
Road transport involves the moving of cargo by road to various destinations.
Most cargo transport companies use the road as a means of freight forwarding because it is the most spread out transportation network. You can deliver to even the most rural areas using roadways. Road services employ heavy-duty trucks and vans to carry goods.
It is characterized by less risk, relatively timely deliveries, and cost-efficiency.
- Air Freight
Air freight employs cargo planes to transport goods across a network of different airports.
Freight forwarding companies use air service to deliver high-value goods to distant destinations in little or no time.
Air shipment is the most expensive service, although it is also the most time-saving. Cargo transportation companies use this mainly for international deliveries.
However, if their operations are in a large country, domestic deliveries can be done by air.
- Sea Shipping
Numerous companies use sea freight forwarding as a go-to service. It is one of the cheapest types of forwarding, even though it is time-consuming.
Sea services involve using cargo loaded with containers to deliver goods Internationally. However, they are various types of this service.
- FCL (Full Container Load): This deals with loading up one full container with a cargo transport company’s goods. This container is used exclusively by them.
- LCL (Less than Full Container Load): This involves cargo that cannot fill an entire container; they have to be consolidated by merging other LCL loads and fitting them into one container.
Even though it is not as effective as the FCLs, it’s still cheap enough to entice smaller companies.
- RORO (Roll On Roll Off): This term is coined from putting heavy-duty trucks about the same size as containers on the ship.
When forwarding companies do this, they eliminate the time used to load heavy-duty trucks after the ship arrives at its destination.
- Dry Bulk: Dry bulk entails placing cargo in the hold of the container as opposed to putting them in containers.
- Railway Transport:
Railway transport is another means of freight forwarding, and it is one of the most efficient forms of modern transportation and is also used to transport cargo. Cargo transport companies use the existing rail track networks in different countries to transport goods.
They are inexpensive and easy to access. However, a downside is that this is dependent on an already existing network. The railway is also held back by its small cab sizes that will not be able to carry cumbersome loads.
Now that we have highlighted the types of cargo transport services, you can use this information to decide which is best for you or your business. We wish you good luck in your search for the perfect freight forwarding service.