International logistics is an important link and carrier of international trade. The main modes of transportation in international logistics are international express, international air transport, international sea transport, international railroad transport, international road transport, international multimodal transport, container transport and other 7 categories.
Before you choose a mode of International logistics, consider the following factors and use this information to guide your decision:
Considerations for choosing international logistics mode
Product
First, analyze the goods you want to transport. Choose your logistics based on the product, including the type of product, the weight of the product, and other characteristics, and choose your logistics transportation method accordingly.
Whether your product is dangerous, perishable or difficult to handle. This information is critical to choosing a mode of International logistics that can accommodate your product within your budget.
Location
Next, consider two locations – where the shipment leaves and the final destination:
Place of shipment: Where are you shipping from? The location where you or your product is located is important because it’s where your tracked mileage begins.
Borders
Do you need to ship across borders and require special customs clearance? What natural borders will your shipment cross? While one shipping method may be the best option for your product, if you don’t have easy access to these options, it may be more expensive and time-consuming than other methods.
Shipping Destination
Where are you shipping to? The shipping destination is one of the most important factors to consider. Calculate the total transportation distance, taking into account all stops and checkpoints.
Consignee
Are you shipping to an individual or a business? This may indicate which speed or method is preferable.
Logistics timeframe
When choosing international logistics, we also need to understand the timeliness of logistics. Logistics is not as fast as the better, because the faster the logistics, usually tariffs are very high, which goes hand in hand. If the buyer and seller agree on the effect of the more stable the better, the lower the price, the time of logistics is guaranteed, the price of logistics will be lower.
In the peak season, due to the surge of export goods, logistics will be inbound and outbound, so we also need to prepare some peak season inbound logistics channels to hedge the peak season logistics risk.
For more details:
Compare international logistics methods
International Express
Advantages
The time limit is very fast, there are more countries that can be delivered, the information on the query website is updated quickly, and the response to problems encountered is timely.
The detection ability of customs is also very good, and the assurance of the preservation of goods is also very high.
Disadvantages
The price is more expensive, need to consider the heavy volume of the product, the restrictions on the consignment of goods is also more stringent.
International Air Freight
Advantages
Allows for fast delivery
Despite occasional flight delays, in most cases, air transportation is much faster than ship, truck or airplane deliveries. In addition, airplanes operate on a fixed schedule. This reliability is an asset when scheduling transportation, especially for perishable goods that require timely (often overnight) delivery.
Provides Enhanced Safety
Aircraft offer this speed with little to no impact on product quality, providing optimal protection and safe handling due to stringent flight checkpoints and minimal disruption during flight.
Disadvantages
Cost
Air transportation is more expensive than trucking because of the higher cost of fuel, as well as additional costs for tickets, maintenance, checkpoints, special handling fees for certain materials, containers, and more. When ground logistics is an option and there is no need to guarantee fast delivery, trucking is usually the more economical decision.
Limitations
Due to the nature of air transportation, some companies may find it difficult to navigate certain limitations, including size, weight, and product restrictions. Aircraft have a fixed load capacity that cannot be exceeded, and many materials are too dangerous to be transported by flight.
International Ocean Freight
Advantages
Accommodate more space and weight
Cargo ships vary in length and can carry thousands of tons of weight.
Lower cost than air freight
Due to lower fuel costs, ocean freight is often more economical than air freight. Cargo ships operate on a set schedule, so there is less chance of costly transportation delays.
Disadvantages
Slow timeframe
While ships are able to carry larger loads than other modes of international logistics, ocean freight takes longer. This is often not the preferred mode of transportation for businesses that rely on quick deliveries.
