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Shipping Through Air
In this shipping mode, aircraft transport items from one place to another. Air freight is the fastest shipping mode. It is beneficial, as it is the most convenient shipping mode and does not get impacted by natural barriers.
This mode eventually became readily available to all the regions, despite the land obstruction. The aircraft can transport maximum items, except those with colossal weight or cross the airline's weight limit.
The air shipping mode is also considered the best shipping option for perishable items or goods. Generally, it is the most expensive option compared to the shipping modes, but ensures safe delivery.
The goods are shipped via aircraft and are classified under the shipping segment of the express. The shipping speed in this mode is relatively faster than in other modes, so the products are delivered sooner while the process becomes more expensive. You can also expect your product to arrive within two days by air transport.
Benefits of Air Transport
Air cargo is an essential element of cross-border e-commerce. It improves the understanding of online stores' understanding of opportunities and challenges that come their way. In 2019, 15% of eCommerce stores adopted air cargo services for their goods shipping.
Since then, this ratio has been consistently growing, as more and more online stores trust air transport because of the following benefits-
- Faster Delivery: Air freight is the fastest shipping alternative compared to rail, road or ocean transport. Because of its high weight capacity, the air mode is mainly effective for shipping goods over long distances. They take a few hours to transport your products from one continent to another.
- Suitable for Perishable Goods: As perishable goods have a short shelf life, they require fast and safe transportation to maintain their effectiveness and quality. Hence, because of their storage requirements, shipping the items via air mode is the best option, which delivers within a few hours without causing any harm to the products.
Shipping Through Land
Land shipping is the ancient form of transporting products. It is one of the most helpful options when delivering products within the nation or across neighboring countries. The trucks deliver the products via roadway, as they comprise ample space to ship bulk items such as vehicles, construction material etc.
This shipping mode is relatively cheaper than others. Although, it may take longer for the products to reach their destination. Another type of land transport is railways. There are two options for opting for the rail mode. These are-
- Intermodal service : This shipping service comprises two options, i.e., trains and trucks. In this transportation stage, the goods are loaded in trailers, then into trucks and then to the railway junction or station. From there, the goods are then kept on the train. Upon reaching the final destination, the goods are again loaded in trailers into the trucks and then delivered to the addresses.
- If your warehouse is near the railway station, you can directly load the products on the train and then deliver them to the destination.
Like air shipping, rail shipping has various advantages, and it is one of the largest shipping networks in the world. The rail mode is a cost-effective option and can carry bulk products nationwide. Shipping by road comprises short-distance transportation and is done via motorbikes, bicycles etc. It is a more feasible option for heavy products like TVs, AC, refrigerators, etc.
Using the land shipping mode also benefits the customers, as it reduces the overall cost of their products while updating them about the delivery through the website's order tracking feature. The Nodejs development company that develops your e-commerce website adds the push notification feature by including the data related to delivery and informing the customers on the updates of their order, and the reduced cost because of the shipment mode.
Benefits of Land Transport
Following are the benefits that your online store will probably have from land transport-
- Suitable for Bulky Goods: The land transport options like trucks and trains offer great flexibility in storing the number of packages. Unlike the air shipping mode, it allows the transportation of heavy-weight products from one place to another.
- Less Capital Expense: It is another significant benefit of Land shipping, which is way cheaper than the other shipping mode, such as air and water. Even the charge for the overall construction of roads and rails is lesser than air transport.
Shipping Through Sea
The sea shipping mode is adapted for various purposes, such as commercial or military. It is used to ship goods in large quantities and is packed in containers. After that, the containers are kept in a vessel. Almost all products can be shipped via seaways, but it is not always recommended to transport the items through the sea, especially when you expect fast delivery.
Benefits of Sea Transport
The benefits of sea transport are as follows-
- Cheap : Hands down, sea shipping is the most economical option, mainly for long-distance transportation. It costs less to the online store owners than airways, national or international shipping.
- Safe : The ships are meant to securely carry harmful products from one place to another. The shipping industry is well-versed in handling such products and ensures their safety in vessels. The containers they designed for transportation are sealed and locked for additional security.
Conclusion
Hence, these three shipping modes play a vital role in the economy. Each of the modes provides benefits that others may not. This depends on you to decide wisely on selecting the correct mode that can benefit your e-commerce business. To make the right decision, consider what is your budget, expected delivery time, size and quantity of products, compare the requirement with the shipping modes and then decide accordingly.
