4 Types of Freight Transportation | Citizenshipper

Freight transportation is one of the most lucrative industries in the world. Enormous wealth and industry are devoted to moving vast amounts of goods in the shortest possible time. The right mode of freight transportation can make or break a business or manufacturer, and millions of dollars go into improving each mode every year.

Given the scale of freight transportation, it’s no surprise that there are many varieties and sub-varieties of vehicles and crates. However, there are four main types of freight transportation. Knowing which one is best for any particular need is a decision with a potential fortune resting on it. The right type of truck, say, could save a business millions. A clear picture of the choice involved is necessary before making this choice.

Of the many types of freight transportation out there, they all fall into four main families: air, sea, road and rail. This article will guide you through each of one of the freight transport types — zeroing in on the details.

Air Freight Transportation

One of the newest types of freight transport is air freight. It’s also the fastest, and typically the most expensive (which makes sense). It joins sea freight as the only mode that can travel across oceans and, like sea freight, it can necessitate a lengthy loading and unloading process at either end of the flight.

Like sea freight, customs officials play a large role at each port, and can even strip sea freight of its competitive advantage: lower cost. Depending on the freight itself – its weight, volume, fragility and country of origin – customs offices can impose large fees or charges that can result in air freight being cheaper than sea freight, as well as faster, over the same distance. The type of freight determines a big fraction of the cost.

To go into more detail, the size of a consignment determines the cost of sea freight more than the actual weight. Heavier cargo can be more cost-effective to transport by air. Air freight carriers also charge shippers based on size and weight, whereas sea freight carriers are more exclusively concerned by size.

Sea Freight Transportation

Sea freight (or ocean freight) is one of the most popular types of freight transport, especially with customers looking to transport great quantities of goods. In fact, according to Statista, 80% of the world’s goods are transported by sea freight. An average sea freight vessel can carry roughly eighteen thousand containers between ports. The average length of a container is 20 feet, and the equivalent of 20 washing machines can be stored inside. That means a single cargo ship could potentially transport 360,000 washing machines, all at once.

In terms of the sheer volume each cargo ship can carry, transport by sea is best for bulk. Mass-produced, non-natural goods like vehicles, tools and appliances tend to be carried on ships, since the slower journey time does not affect the condition of the cargo – as it would with, say, food. For those buying stock in bulk from overseas, sea freight shipping is usually the cheapest shipping method. If you’re importing a bulk amount of goods, sea freight could be the most cost-efficient option for you.

Rail Freight Transportation

Despite being the oldest method of freight transportation on this list, rail freight transportation is not the most popular type of freight transportation. However, a whopping 1.5 billion tons of raw materials and finished goods gets transported by rail in the US each year.

It’s proportionally as popular a method of transporting freight as it was when invented. Naturally it does not cross oceans, but aside from expensive air freight it is the fastest mode of freight hauling available.

Rail has another advantage: customizable carriages. Any single train can pull a variety of carriages with different specializations, from simple 20-foot containers to highly specialized tank cars for transporting chemicals. The US is especially fortunate when it comes to rail freight: Running on almost 140,000 route miles, the US freight rail network has been called the largest, safest and most cost-efficient freight system in the world.

Its main American competitor is trucking. However, unlike regular roads, the nation’s freight railroads are owned by private organizations who are responsible for their own maintenance and improvement projects. Since there is a stronger financial incentive to keep them operational, railroads are often more reliable than roads too. Almost $25 billion is spent on freight railroads annually.

Road Freight Transportation

One of the freight transportation types that often gets overlooked in today’s world is road freight. Freight trucking experienced a mild decline from the middle of the decade. Now, revenue streams have recovered to create a market worth almost $800 billion. In total, there were over 3 million heavy truck drivers in the US in 2023, according to Consumer Shield.

The biggest effect on the cost of road freight comes down to which shipping (or trucking) service you choose. For shipping across the country, an online marketplace is your best bet. The competition of the market will keep shipping costs low as drivers vie for your shipment. A shipping service with a positive reputation is also a good guarantee of safety and reliability in transit.

Bottom Line

And there you have it, these are the four types of freight transportation in the world. These types of freight shipping make the world go round and round. If you’re looking for a service that does freight transportation, look no further than CitizenShipper. They are the most trusted and most affordable mode of freight transport in the country. It’s quite an easy process, too. All you have to do is plug in your shipment information free of cost. Once that happens, you can wait for the quotes to roll in.

Afterward, choose the driver you like best. Some customers value experience over price, while others favor drivers with the best testimonials. Then, negotiate the freight cost, prepare your cargo, and relax. Post your shipment today to get safe, trusted, and affordable freight transport.

Featured Image Credit: hgroupco.com