If you want your business to grow, you should think about selling your products internationally. Still, the way you’re going to ship your products will determine how successful your business is going to be. Of course, you should make your decision by carefully evaluating your business needs and the budget you’re working with. This being said, we’ve come up with a list of 4 most popular ways of shipping products internationally. Make sure you check them all out and try to identify the one that would suit your business needs.
Shipping by air
If you’re sending time-sensitive products, shipping by air might just be the option you should go for. However, air freight tends to be the most expensive way of shipping and is limited to places with an airport nearby. Of course, the price your air freight depends quite a lot on the height of your cargo as well as on how quickly you want it to arrive. Heavy products that are time-sensitive tend to be quite costly.
If you decide to go for air freight, make sure you insure all of your cargo. This is especially the case if your cargo is valuable – and air cargo usually is. Insurance rates of cargo you ship by air are affordable and it’s a great safety measure that will make you worry less about your products.
Shipping by truck
If you decide to ship your products by land, you’ll be presented with two different options – and one of them is to ship your products by truck. This is the most popular method of freight transport all around the world and many companies decide to go for it. Even in the case you decide to ship your products by air, you’ll still need trucks that will get your products to their final destination.
By taking a closer look at your shipment, you’ll be able to determine whether you should go for less-than-truckload (LTL) or truckload (TL) freight. Also, you might think about turning to brokers in order to get discounts. Of course, this is a great option if you’ll be shipping your products more often.
Shipping by rail
Another option when it comes to shipping your products by land is rail. It’s a great way to ship products to distant places or when dealing with bulk goods. Still, quite often, you’ll have to pay transshipment costs, since a lot of rail shipments have to be transferred by planes or cargo ships. This option is also very popular when it comes to shipping products to a port or an airport, for international export.
Quite often, companies use containers which can easily be transferred from one mode to another. If you’re thinking about shipping your products by rail, getting these is always recommended. Also, if your business is located near a railroad, this option might be the best one.
Shipping by sea
Most of international exports tend to be transported by sea. This usually involves a large shipment that doesn’t have to be delivered quickly. There are plenty of different types of ships used for transporting cargo and they can accommodate any kind of products. This includes liquids, dry goods, perishable items and much more. Transit times tend to vary depending on port location. For example, a standard shipment from Europe to United States lasts for 10-12 days.
Just like when shipping by rail, you might want to think about getting shipping containers. These will make it much easier to ship all of your freight and keep it safe during the transport. No matter where your business is based, getting these shouldn’t be difficult. For example, if you’re based in Sydney or Melbourne, there are plenty of companies that sell shipping containers in Australia.
Think about how fast you want your products to arrive at their final destination and the budget you’re working with, and you should be able to choose which of these options suits your business best.
