Freight transportation is an integral part of the supply chain and the logistics system. However, the cost of moving commodities between different cities and countries is not always borne by the direct stakeholders but also the members of the society who might not be benefitting from it. It is commonly referred to as the external cost of an activity.
Also, air, noise and water pollution are some of the negative impacts of freight transportation.
What Is Freight Transportation?
Freight means a cost of charge paid for carriage or transportation of goods utilizing air, land or Sea. Transportation is the movement of goods from one location to another. Freight transportation is the paid movement of moving the merchandise, goods or cargo products from one place to another through the use of a vehicle.
Types Of Freight Transportation
There are majorly four major types of freight transportation that can be utilized depending on the type of goods that need to be transported. This largely depends on the size of goods, the shipment location, and the time of delivery when the goods need to reach their destination.
Road Transport- It is a type of freight transportation that uses the means of a vehicle or a truck. The delivery is usually at places that are easily accessible by road.
Rail Transport- This is very similar to road transport as in rail transport also we transport goods from one place to another by land. The only difference is that road transport has an extensive route network whereas rail transport only caters to specific routes.
Ocean Transport- This transportation method involves seas, oceans or other bodies of water as paths for shipping goods and merchandise.
Air Transport- This mode of transportation is the most time-efficient transportation for transporting goods.
Difference Between Transportation & Distribution
Shipping and delivering goods are both very important elements of distribution and transportation.
As we have already discussed above, transportation is the movement of things from one place to another. And distribution is the system by which products are categorized, transported and distributed to their destination. It is the overall process that will showcase how the product reached from first mile to last mile.
Transportation is the part of the distribution process- it is the movement of product but does not involve strategizing how to move the products through a channel which is the concern of distribution.
Transportation only focuses on taking goods from the place of origin to the destination to the receiver.
Distribution is a systematic process of picking up the goods, categorizing it base on the location of its destination, it includes the packaging, storage, order fulfillment and customer handling relations. Transportation determines the efficacy of moving products, while distribution is the overall inventory, warehousing, supply chain and logistics. Distribution is like the sorting process of the goods and services.
Advantages Of Freight Transportation
Door To Door Service
Usually, products are sent to warehouses from the nearest locations and are then delivered to the end customers. In this goods will be delivered to the doorstep of the receiver. In this, the chances of the product getting damaged is minimized.
Cost-Effective
The goods are transported in large quantities and hence that makes the cost of delivery extremely low. This is very helpful for new companies who don’t want their shipping cost to be affordable.
On-Time Deliveries
The urgency of delivering shipments is always present when dealing with B2B customers. However, the impact of late orders in B2C orders is comparatively less impactful but when it comes to businesses, the entire manufacturing processes need to be stalled when shipments fail to arrive on time.
Outsource To 3PL
If managing business logistics effectively has proven tricky for your company, turning to a third-party logistics (3PL) business might be the solution you need to kick-start your efficiency. The two most frequently outsourced logistics processes are warehousing and transportation.
Shiprocket Cargo is a B2B shipping and logistics aggregator in India and makes cargo shipping effortlessly easy for their customers. Shiprocket Cargo and streamlines Cargo and B2B logistics with its vast network of carriers. You can now track all your orders and keep customers informed about the courier movement.
Why Shiprocket Cargo?
- Affordable Rates – Shiprocket Cargo provides the best rates for all shipments, whether you need B2B shipping or cargo shipping.
- Multiple Carriers– Streamline cargo and B2B logistics with our wide network of carriers. Track all your orders and keep your customers informed about the courier movement in real-time.
- Get Accurate Recommendations– Our AI tool offers the best carrier recommendations for every shipment based on your shipping needs, delivery dates, and budget.
- Dedicated Support- The dedicated team at Shiprocket Cargo will always help you and guide you through the way whether you need assistance with pickups, tracking shipments, or clearing any disputes with carriers.
- Support for Multiple Modes- Send your eCommerce and cargo shipments through air or surface.
- Wider Reach– We serve 28,000+ pin codes within India and continuously expand more every day.
- Zero Platform Fees– Simple and easy-to-understand pricing for our customers and no hidden charges.
