Air freight has developed into one of the
most popular industries in the world and one of the keys to the recent
advancements in global trade. Before air transport came along, shipments were
made across the sea with goods taking weeks and even months to arrive at their
destinations, so when air travel came along it was like a Godsend to traders.
That was until we entered the current
economic climate where companies are looking to save money wherever possible,
prompting questions over whether the popularity of air freight can last with
shipments by sea becoming increasingly popular once again.
One of the main benefits of shipping by
boats rather than planes is the cost. Oil is becoming particularly expensive at
present and air freight requires not only more fuel, but more expensive fuel.
For these reasons businesses are turning to shipping by sea as air freight
companies increase their prices to deal with the rising costs of fuel. The more
it costs to get the plane off the ground, the more it costs to fly goods,
putting businesses off.
Ships also have a much greater capacity
then planes, allowing them to take more goods to a destination at a
significantly lower price. This method of trade is known in many areas as a
“door to door” service as many companies quote for transfers in their final
prices, giving businesses an exact figure for how much it is going to cost them
to move their goods – something they can budget for in all of their future
trade dealings.
Anything being shipped goes through
stringent security checks at the ports, ensuring that what is said to be being
delivered is actually what is received at the end of the process. Scanners
perform X-Rays on the steel containers to check that the shipment of
microwaves, (for example), written on the documents, are what they say they
are. These checks give more businesses at both ends of the process piece of
mind and trust in the delivery system, letting them feel safe that what they
send or order will be what they get, delivered to the right location.
Shipping is seen as a much slower process
compared to air travel but it is by no means as slow as many perceive. In the
olden days it may have taken weeks or months to transport something from the UK
to Australia for instance, now it is significantly quicker.
This
article was written by Chris White, a freelance writer currently under contract
with UShip. Chris creates a wide range of articles focusing on a number of
topics from sport and hobbies, to couriers and building eco-houses.
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