When it comes to freight forwarding, there are a lot of different factors to consider. Two of the most popular methods are air freight and ocean freight. Both have their benefits, but which one is better for you? Should you use air freight or ocean freight? What are the pros and cons of each option? In this blog post, we’ll look at air freight vs. ocean freight and help you decide which option is right for you.
We know that freight charges have become more expensive in the past decade. Importers and exporters are now seeking ways to optimize their supply chains and reduce shipping costs. One option is to use air freight instead of ocean freight. Airfreight is generally more expensive than ocean freight, but it can be a faster and more convenient option for shipping goods.
Air Freight:
Air freight is one of the fastest transportation modes of goods from one place to another. This is one of the reliable options for delivering shipments. It takes less time to deliver goods to the final destination, but it is impossible to send large shipments in air crafts because of less capacity.
Advantages Of Air Freight:
Airfreight is considered the fastest mode of transportation for shipping cargo. The fantastic benefits of Air freight are as follows:
Speed:
Air freight is much faster than ocean freight, which makes it ideal for shipping goods that need to arrive quickly. This mode of transportation is ideal for delivering goods to far destinations in a brief time. We consider air freight, and there is no other way to send urgent shipments to other continents in a short time.
Convenience:
Airfreight is more convenient than ocean freight, as it can be a door-to-door service with fewer stops. This mode of transportation is excellent for sending goods to all areas that are not accessible by other modes of transportation.
Flexibility:
Airfreight offers more flexibility than ocean freight, as it can be shipped to several locations all around the globe. Air freight makes it possible to deliver your goods to countries that other modes of transportation overlook.
Tracking:
Air freight shipments can be tracked more easily than ocean freight shipments, which helps ensure that goods arrive on time and in good condition.
Less Damage Risk:
Airfreight is generally more secure than ocean freight, as it is less likely to be damaged or lost in transit. Shipping through air freight is very safe and makes possible to deliver shipment quickly.
Transport Perishable Goods:
Air freight is ideal for transporting perishable goods in safe condition without damaging their shelf life.
End-to-End Services:
The air freight system offers various services to customers and makes it possible to send shipments worldwide. The services include good relationships with GP carriers, operators, practices, and logistics. This mode of transportation provides peace of mind to customers about the safe delivery of their goods at the final destination. Air freight services also safely ensure the delivery of fragile and sensitive goods.
Less Dependence On Warehousing:
One of the noteworthy advantages of using air freight service is less need to store goods in warehouses. As we all know, air freight offers the quickest services to customers, so there is no need to store goods in warehouses. In this way, customers will be relieved to pay money to warehouses to store their goods for a long.
Disadvantages Of Air Freight:
Now we’ll discuss the disadvantages of using air freight services:
Risks Are Involved:
Customers sometimes face substantial losses in air freight services because of minor glitches.
Costly:
Air freight services are more expensive than other means of transporting goods from one place to another. So choosing air freight services to ship low-value goods would not be a good idea.
Less Carrying Capacity:
In air crafts, the loading capacity is limited and sometimes too low to fulfill the needs of international shipments. Therefore, large shipments may need to suffer for delivery of goods.
Not So Reliable:
Because of sudden adverse weather conditions, sometimes it becomes impossible to deliver goods. Here, if a customer needs to deliver goods urgently, there are chances of canceling flights at the last moment.
Ocean Freight:
Ocean freight is a cost-effective mode for transporting goods from one place to another. Almost 90% of global exporters and importers prefer to deliver their shipments through seaports because it is convenient to send shipments in bulk using ocean freight. It is a time-consuming process for delivering goods, so it is not a good option for transporting fragile goods.
Advantages of Ocean Freight:
Ocean freight has several advantages over airfreight:
Cost:
Ocean freight is typically much cheaper than airfreight, which makes it a good option for shipments of goods in bulk. It is a more affordable option for companies with tight budgets or bulkier cargo.
Capacity:
Ocean freight can ship large quantities of goods simultaneously, which is not always possible with airfreight. As air crafts have less space, it is an excellent option to send heavy and bulky goods, i.e., automobile parts, machinery, and industrial goods.
Time:
Ocean freight can take longer to arrive than airfreight, but it is often the only option for shipping certain types of goods, i.e., bulky shipments.
Tracking:
Ocean freight shipments can be tracked more easily than airfreight shipments, which helps ensure that goods arrive at a decided time and are in good condition.
Security:
Ocean freight is more secure than airfreight, as it is less likely to be damaged or lost in transit. The ships that carry heavy and dangerous cargo are designed according to safety standards. The staff of these ships has highly professional training to handle and manage heavy and sensitive cargo. Also, the containers are carefully designed to get sealed and locked during the shipment.
Less Maintenance Cost:
Ships used for ocean freight demands less maintenance than aircraft. That’s why ocean freight rates are affordable for most importers and exporters.
Disadvantages of Ocean Freight:
Besides tremendous advantages, there are also disadvantages of ocean freight. These disadvantages are:
Slow Speed:
The main disadvantage of ocean freight is its time, which can take weeks or even months for shipments to arrive. It could be best only for shipments with a longer shelf life. Ocean freight is not ideal for sending fragile cargo because such products can get damaged during long transit processes.
Lack of Infrastructure:
Many countries have no ports or terminals to receive large ships carrying containers. Therefore, the facility of ocean freight is limited. In that case, if importers and exporters want to get their cargo booked by ocean freight, they may need to pay extra.
Risky:
If weather becomes severe during transit, it becomes risky for ocean freight to deliver a shipment on time. Delays of days or weather severity can cause loss or damage to the shipment.
Which Is Better- Air Freight Or Ocean Freight?
It depends on your needs. Both modes of transportation have certain advantages and disadvantages. If you need to ship goods quickly and conveniently, airfreight may be your best option. Ocean freight will be ideal for you if you are shipping large quantities of goods or goods that cannot be shipped by air freight. Air freight makes it possible to deliver goods quickly, whereas ocean freight takes time, so this is not a good option for sending goods with a short shelf life. It depends on the user’s need and budget to choose the best shipping strategy for delivering goods.