Did you know that UPS delivers more than 20 million packages to customers across the United States of America each day? Using shipping services makes a lot of sense if you’re running an e-commerce business since it allows you to bring your products straight to the doorsteps of your customers. Knowing the different types of shipping will aid you in saving money and pleasing your customers.
Knowing your options for shipping products will allow you to make the most of your budget while also using freight shipping to get more products into your inventory. The good news is that you’ve found a great guide to learning all about the shipping services that you can use to grow your business.
Keep reading this article to learn more today!
Full Truckload Shipping
One of the most popular types of shipping that you’ll encounter is full truckload shipping. This method for shipping products puts an entire truck to use to get the goods from Point A to Point B. It’s a great option if you’re focused on using ground shipping to get products to your customers.
The trucks will pick up your goods from a distribution center before driving them many miles to the destination. It’s a great option if you’re worried about shipping speed since all of your products are on one truck. This means there is no time wasted transferring trucks or making stops to handle other deliveries.
Less Than Truckload Shipping
Less than truckload shipping is similar to full truckload shipping except that you’re sharing space on the truck with other businesses. It’s a great option if you’re looking at shipping products while saving money. Think of the truck as a moving truck, where your belongings take up only a part of the truck’s cargo capacity.
While this method will save you money, it takes a lot more time. The truck will need to make more stops to deliver goods for the other businesses. This could result in longer delivery times unless you choose to work with companies for help with chicago freight.
Flatbed Shipping
Flatbed shipping is another option that you can use if you’re planning on using ground shipping services to deliver your products. You can move a ton of cargo with a flatbed trailer and a semi-truck. This is a great route to take if the products that you’re shipping don’t require protection from the elements.
You will also gain significant flexibility with a flatbed trailer since it can accommodate items that wouldn’t fit inside a normal trailer. The loading and unloading process is much quicker with a flatbed trailer as well since you can use heavy machinery like cranes to unload the cargo. From there, you can transfer it to another truck to continue the next leg of the journey.
Intermodal Shipping Services
Intermodal shipping is the gold standard that you have access to when it comes to auto shipping and freight shipping. It’s the main option that large businesses use to get their products to their customers. Intermodal shipping makes great use of the shipping routes on the ocean to bring products to the United States from foreign markets.
It’s possible that your products will arrive from maritime shipping in a shipping container before getting transferred to a train or a truck. You can also make use of air shipping when you work with intermodal shipping services. This is the most common form of shipping used for consumer goods that you buy in stores like Walmart and Target.
This is a great option to consider if you can fit it into your budget. You’ll gain access to tracking information so that you can follow your products during each stage of their journey.
Rail Service Shipping
Rail shipping is a newer option that has played a huge role in the industrialization of the United States and other countries. Trains are a great option for shipping products because they are relatively efficient and they can haul massive amounts of cargo in one go. It’s also a cheaper option than using only semi-trucks for your shipping services.
You don’t need to use as much fuel to power a train compared to a truck, plane, or ship. If you’re looking at shipping products in North America then shipping by rail makes a ton of sense. You can move your goods at massive distances at a fraction of the cost.
International Air Shipping
The quickest form of shipping is also the most recent. It involves using massive cargo planes that will help you with shipping for businesses.
It’s important to remember that you’re trading more money for quicker shipping times when you choose to use international air shipping. Still, it’s a great way to bring your products to customers in new markets on an order-by-order basis.
International Maritime Shipping
You can also make great use of maritime shipping when you’re handling auto shipping or you’re sending products in bulk. It’s up to you to determine if you need the entire space that a shipping container provides or if you only need a fraction of it. If you want to save some money then you can always split the space and cost of a shipping container with another business.
Your products will arrive in the port and get unloaded from the ship for processing. Once your products clear customers they can get loaded onto trains or trucks to continue their journey to the store or to the warehouse. It’s a great option if you’re looking to reach new markets without breaking the bank.
Now You Know the Types of Shipping for Your Business
Using shipping services for shipping products from your business to your customers makes a lot of sense. Having an understanding of the types of shipping that you can use will help you manage your budget and keep your customers happy with timely deliveries. Train shipping is the cheapest while international air shipping will save you time while costing you more money.
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