Calculating the Price of Sea Freight

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The 21st century is one of the most exciting times in history for running a business. The advance of technology has made it possible for businesses to connect with different customers all around the world. In the past, a business was limited to consumers found in its immediate vicinity; this meant that you could only appeal to customers within driving distance. You had to carve out a niche in physical space to drive customers into your business. Now, the marketplace is truly global. A business in Leicester can appeal to customers in London, Laos, and Lithuania with little trouble. This has led to businesses that operate largely or even exclusively online, which means that a business operator has to be able to ship products all over the world. Interestingly enough, the technology that many use to capitalise on these advancements is quite dated and laborious. Shipping by sea has been a preferred method for shipping for hundreds of years, and remains relevant still to this day.

Shipping by Sea

Sea freight is one of three major forms of shipping. The other forms of shipping are shipping by air and by land. Sea freight has many advantages over these other forms, which make it preferable for certain types of business. Products are loaded onto pallets and are shipped over the sea on massive container ships. Sea freight rates from Pallet2Ship tend to be lower than rates for air or land because of the particular nature of sea shipping. When you ship by air or by land, your price is determined based on the size of your shipment as well as its weight. Airplanes and trucks have weight limits that they have to closely adhere to in order to function properly. If a plane, for example, is loaded with too much weight, it cannot take off and land properly; therefore, the price of a heavy shipment is significantly higher than the price of a lightweight shipment.

In sea freight, however, weight is not as big of a concern. Container ships are incredibly large and heavy vehicles that displace large amounts of water as they move. Water, being much denser than air, can support much more weight. This means that you are not charged nearly as much for sea freight as you would be for air or land freight.

The Benefits of Sea Freight

For certain businesses, shipping by sea is the preferred way of sending goods across the globe. Sea freight has two distinct qualities; it is more affordable for heavy shipments but it is not as timely. Due to the nature of the ocean, shipments by sea can sometimes be days or weeks behind schedule. For example, if there’s a storm at sea, your shipment can be delayed until the storm passes. This can be a problem for businesses that rely on quick and timely shipments. However, if you do not have tight deadlines for your shipments, shipping by sea can be incredibly beneficial.

Shipping heavy items by sea can keep your prices low. If you are a supplier of heavy machinery, for example, you can keep your prices lower than your competitors by shipping them over the sea.

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