Your Guide to Freight Forwarding: Air Freight vs. Sea Freight

While shipping goods, especially internationally, there are several factors to consider. Of these, the most vital is to choose the mode of transport. Regardless of why and what you plan to ship, making the right decision between air and sea freight is crucial. Here taking the help of a professional such as Singapore Freight Forwarders can help you choose the best freight solution. Both these methods have their respective plus and minus, so some may apply to your needs, and some may not.

Pointers to Consider

Choosing between sea or air freight rests on these four variables,

• Cost – Irrespective of your circumstances or budget, it is the cost that will directly influence your decision. Often sea freight is considered to be cheaper, but this is not the case always. So it is vital to get quotes and shop around for both and take the final decision.

 

• Speed – Often, shipping goods and time restrictions go hand in hand. If there is a time constraint, then it is always better to choose air freight as shipments through the sea take longer. So the choice is entirely yours, depending on your emergency.

 

• Reliability – When we decide to ship something, we want a company that will be reliable. Though both air and sea freight companies are trustworthy, there are fewer cancellations and delays in the former.

Benefits of Each

Still not sure which to choose? Well, here are some benefits of each to help you make an informed choice.

Sea Freight – The benefits of using sea freight are manifold. Some of its key benefits include,

• Cost-Effective – If you plan to import goods in large quantities, sea freight is the right choice as it is relatively cheaper than air freight. Besides, VAT and duty are less expensive than air freight keeping the price down.
• Flexibility –Sea freight is highly flexible for which it suits different businesses. When containers spread between companies, the costs reduce.
• Fewer Restrictions – Importing through sea freight does not have many restrictions with regards to amount and size. For instance, shipping bigger items like vehicles or furniture will be easy by sea than by air.
• Accessibility – When it comes to sea freight, it is much accessible the world over. Importing through sea freight is good for the environment compared to other methods.

 

Air Freight –The benefits of using air freight are manifold. Some of its key benefits include,

 

• Efficiency – Importing through air freight is quick, especially in the case of direct service, whereas sea freight is likely to take several weeks.
• More Options – A shipping company can offer more options in air freight, which includes direct routes and consols.
• Good Value on a Smaller Delivery – In air freight, the charge is done based on weight and not on volume, thus making it cost-effective to import smaller deliveries through air freight than through sea.
• More Traceable – Ships are easily traceable as they are tracked which gives businesses peace of mind.
• Lesser Damage – Importing through air freight is an excellent way to ship fragile goods as there is less damage than that in sea freight.

 

Which will be your pick? Choose wisely.