90% of world trade volume is accomplished via various shipping methods.
The options for shipping goods domestically or across international borders are limited. You can ship goods by ground, water, and air. Although the upfront cost of shipping by air may be more expensive, there are times when it’s the best option.
When you have freight that needs to reach cross borders quickly, safely and cost-effectively, air freight international is the way to go. Below we’ll list all the reasons that should make air freight your first choice for shipping.
When Timing Is Everything
In comparison to traveling on land or in the ocean, air shipping is incomparably faster. You can even choose to have your package delivered in the same day it’s shipped.
When a critical part is needed for an assembly line to get up and running or a temperature-sensitive immunization is needed during a humanitarian crisis, those organizations choose air freight international shipping.
Unless your freight only needs to travel a short distance, such as between towns that aren’t serviced by airlines, air shipping will always get your freight to its destination faster.
Airplanes also have to make fewer stops at international borders, if any. That means less time spent at customs that might delay delivery as the open and verify packages and other contents.
When Freight Needs to Stay Fresh
When freight needs to stay fresh on a journey, the speedy service of an air courier is unparalleled. If you’re shipping seafood, for example, it could be the difference between the end client getting food poisoning or not.
Anything with an expiry date longer than a day or two should be sent via air.
Trucks and ships often face delays at the border or in a port. Trucks need to stop for gas and the driver needs to sleep. Ships sail in bad weather and may have to re-route for safety.
Departures and arrivals of airplanes are more consistent. And in the case your flight is delayed, there’s always more airplanes going out that same day to the same destination.
When You’re Shipping Globally
For obvious reasons, land and sea limit your options when shipping around the world. You can’t ship on the ground when you need to get something from the US to Australia.
Other countries are landlocked and can’t be directly reached by ship. Although it’s possible for freight to arrive at a port and then ground-shipped to a destination, that means more potential for border and customs delays.
More air freight international service providers have a large network to get your freight where it needs to go, and quickly.
When You Want More Options
Cargo plans aren’t your only option for shipping freight by air. There are also passenger planes and private charters that can do the job.
Cargo planes are the most common means of shipping by air. They’re specifically used for moving freight.
Commercial flights are another option. If your shipment is small, this is an economical way to ship from one destination to another. These flights are rarely at capacity so they often have extra room for shipments.
Private air charters can help you meet really tight deadlines as well as remote areas. This option gives you the exclusive use of a plane to ship anywhere you need it to go, without delays.
By contrast, when you want reliability when shipping by land or sea, you’re restricted to the big companies. They know your options are limited and this could affect how much you’re paying.
When You Can’t Risk Loss
Shipping by air means there’s less risk of your item being lost or stolen.
When shipping by land or sea in countries with security risks, you run the risk of theft. This often happens while your delivery is sitting at a transport hub. Shipping by sea can also be dangerous for crews.
When shipping across far distances by land or sea, packages often transfer between vehicles and ships. Besides the chance of theft, shipping with air freight has less risk of something getting lost in transfers.
When You Want to Accurately Track Your Package
You can track packages when shipping on the ground. The tracking system is far less accurate and sophisticated. You’ll only be able to track when a package arrives at a major hub.
Using an airplane means you can track flights numbers, departures, and arrivals. These are constantly updated so you know where your freight is at all times.
When You’re Trying to Save on Costs
The upfront cost of shipping via air is more expensive. But there are other shipping costs that to think about when making your decisions.
Shipping insurance by air is less expensive than by land or sea. That’s because insurance providers know that an airplane has a better chance of reaching its destination without being damaged or stolen than when you ship via land or sea.
You pay fewer custom charges when shipping by air freight international. Land and sea often have to pass through multiple borders and pay customs fees that can add up. Whereas many air freight services go directly from where you are to the destination.
Air freight international companies also don’t have as much inventory because they ship on tight deadlines. That means you’re not paying for the overhead cost of extra warehouse space.
Your freight will also require less packaging materials when it travels by air. They’re not handled as often and are less likely to be damaged, so you don’t have to pay as much to pack it. That also reduces the weight, which reduces your costs even more.
When You Care About the Environment
12% of ocean pollution is the result of human activity on the ocean. Not to mention the environmental impact of oil spills.
Research shows that pollution from cargo ships causes 60,000 premature deaths in the US and 39,000 in the European Union.
Choosing to avoid the ocean and ship by air means having less of an impact on the ocean.
Ship Air Freight International
If you need reliance, safety, and speedy delivery, shipping air freight international is your only option to deliver on all those needs.
If you need to ship something out and you need it done quickly, get a quote from us today.