With the world becoming increasingly connected, more and more people are choosing to ship goods by air in order to get them from one location to another quickly and efficiently.
However, if you’ve never shipped by air before, you may be worried about your goods being damaged or stolen, or simply not sure what kind of box or packaging will keep your cargo safe and sound during its journey.
This post should help you get started on the right foot when it comes to shipping by air.
What is Air Freight?
Freight is the general term for cargo that is transported between destinations. Cargo can be anything from food, clothing, furniture, and even cars. Shipping large volumes of cargo is expensive and time-consuming; this is where airfreight comes in.
Airfreight refers to the transportation of cargo via aircraft that are fitted with containers or crates. These containers are then loaded onto the plane’s cargo hold which provides a great deal of space for transporting items such as machinery and other heavy equipment.
Because there is little risk of theft due to the restricted areas around airports, airlines are happy to provide cargo services at very low rates.
When it comes to pricing, it’s important to understand what kind of service you’re getting for your money. There are two basic types of air freight services – break bulk and palletized.
Break bulk shipments involve individually weighing each piece of luggage before loading them into specialized containers. Palletized shipments involve placing your entire luggage on one big flat surface before loading it into a standard-size container.
How Do You Ship Goods by Air
Shipping goods by air is cheaper, faster, and more reliable than sea or road transport. It’s also the best option for fragile or time-sensitive shipments. But with so many options available, it can be difficult to work out what’s the best option for your needs.
For example, if you’re shipping a bulky but light item such as furniture, then the small savings in cost and time may not justify the higher expense of an air shipment. So, it pays to do your research and think carefully before deciding on an air freight provider and service.
Air cargo companies offer both express and regular services at various levels of cost and convenience – so there’s something for everyone! It all depends on what your particular priorities are when considering which carrier to use.
Express carriers, for instance, are ideal for urgent shipments that require delivery within 24 hours but often charge higher rates than other methods. Regular carriers, on the other hand, offer lower rates but take longer to deliver goods due to their lack of available flights.
Benefits of Shipping Via Air Freight
There are many benefits of air freight including the following:
- Speed: Air freight is a fast and efficient way of getting your product to market. It can take less than one day for an order placed in the U.S. to arrive in Southeast Asia, or less than one week for an order placed in Europe to arrive in New York City. In contrast, ocean transport typically takes at least two weeks before the package arrives at its destination.
- Size and Weight Limits: Airfreight shipments have a higher weight limit and lower size limit than ocean cargo so it’s ideal for bulky items like machinery and furniture as well as fragile items like China, crystal, and glassware that would be damaged by rough handling on long sea voyages.
- Value for Money: With airfreight, you only pay for what you send with no minimums or hidden charges whereas ocean freight may involve heavy minimum charges even if you only want to ship small consignments
- Security: Unlike international postal mail which is usually not traceable once it leaves the country, using an express courier ensures that your shipment will be monitored from start to finish. There are various options such as Fedex’s Proof of Delivery service which provides door-to-door tracking and email notification when your shipment has been delivered
- Less Damage to Your Product: Using air freighters over ocean freighters gives you greater protection against product damage during transit due to their increased safety measures
Conclusion
Shipping products via air freight is a great option for any company looking for a fast and cost-effective way to ship products internationally.
With the help of an experienced logistics provider, you can find out just how much it will cost and what the process is like.
After that, all you have to do is contact your vendor or supplier and ask if they offer international shipping.