What Business Owners Should Know About Freight Shipping 

Shipping logistics is often an area that many businesses could improve. Many often don’t know where to start or who to call when it comes to freight shipping services. If that sounds like you, here’s what you should know.

What is Freight Shipping?

Freight shipping is the transportation of goods or commodities in bulk by land, sea, or air. It involves the moving of items considered as freight or cargo, such as:

• Packages weighing over 150 pounds
• Packages measuring more than 30x30x30 inches
• Packages longer than 108 inches

Freight is loaded on wooden pallets or into metal containers. It is measured by weight, its number of pallets, or occupied containers.

Freight shipping is an integral part of business operations, especially for companies dealing with goods and regularly transporting these in bulk. 

How Long Does Freight Shipping Take?

Once you understand what freight shipping is, you’ll likely want to know how long it will take your shipment to reach its destination. The answer varies depending on several factors: 

Shipping Mode

Freight shipping can be via land, air, or sea. Of the three, air freight is the fastest but the most expensive. Shipping via truck takes longer but is better for handling heavier freight and is suitable for domestic destinations. Lastly, sea freight has the longest transit time, taking weeks or months, but it’s usually the most cost-effective shipping method.   

Distance

The greater the distance between origin and destination, the longer it will take for the shipment to arrive. Shipment time is also dependent on a place’s freight activity—the busier the start or endpoint is, the longer the delivery time.

Seasonality

Seasonal demand during holidays like Christmas or Halloween can also impact delivery. With more people wanting goods at these times, delivery freight often takes a bit longer. 

Weather

Severe weather conditions have a significant impact on transit times. Storms, heavy snowfall, and other natural disasters can cause unexpected delays. 

Types of Freight Shipping

• Full Truckload (FTL): FTL is the quickest shipping method via land transportation since the truck travels straight to its delivery destination.
• Less than Truckload (LTL): Delivery time is slightly longer with LTL because of the stops necessary to load and unload the shipment from one truck to another.
• Partial Truckload (PTL): Transit periods are often the longest in PTL—there is a need to fill the truck with other shippers, which takes time to finish. 
• Intermodal: Intermodal makes use of multiple modes of transportation. The transfer between modes extends delivery times. 
• Expedited Freight: Expedited shipping for time-critical shipments ensures delivery on or before expected arrival.

Benefits of Freight Shipping:

Superior Flexibility

Freight shipping gives you several options based on your priorities—do you want it shipped fast or for the least cost? Such flexibility is possible when working with a company with many contract carriers.   

Shipment Safety

Freight shipping ensures your goods are safe and secure while in transit, reducing the risk of losses due to theft and damage.

Timely Delivery

With freight shipping, your shipment will arrive on the expected delivery date. And if there are unforeseen delays, your service provider will update the status.

Choose the Professionals at Elite Ops For Your Shipping Needs

Reliable freight shipping is crucial to your business as it ensures your goods are delivered safely, on time, and without unnecessary costs. We have you covered.

Elite Ops has been in the shipping industry for over two decades, and our experience has made us the preferred choice of businesses. If you want to know more about what freight shipping is, check out some of our services. You can also request a quote.