There are many ways you can send items or goods from A to B, either nationally or internationally. Each has different restrictions, requirements, costs or fees, and may be better suited for certain types or amounts of deliveries than others. But how do you know which to choose?
Let’s start with freight shipping. Freight really only means the thing you’re putting on a truck, train, ship or plane to move from one place to another. It is used to describe the act of transporting goods in bulk, and is suitable for use if your consignment (or shipment) weighs over a certain amount, making it too heavy for normal parcel delivery options. Freight can be sent via road, rail, sea or air, depending on the destination, and it’s not unusual for your shipment to use all four methods of transportation to get it to its destination as cheaply as possible.
Container shipping is fairly self-explanatory. A large container, filled with your goods or items, is shipped from A to B. The containers are standardised so they will fit on container ships easily, and are stackable. Container shipping is a very cost effective method for shipping goods internationally because the costs can be shared between dozens of companies using the same ship. To keep costs down you can often load your container at the dock, otherwise it will be delivered to the address you specify on the back of a lorry and collected once full.
International shipping refers to items or goods being delivered between countries, but doesn’t necessarily mean by sea. For example, international shipping between France and Portugal might involve the road or rail system rather than by boat, depending on route, costs, etc. Some companies use international shipping as an umbrella term to cover everything from a letter to freight, so take the time to check if you’re confused.
Moving goods or items through any of these methods takes a lot of co-ordination, it’s well worth investigating how freight forwarders can help you with the logistics of getting your item to its destination for the cheapest possible price. Part loads are usually available, bringing the shipping costs down, but can increase the logistical entanglements you’d need to decipher to in order to reduce prices. DQC is a great way to start, use our online form to fill out your shipping needs and competitively priced free quotes will be sent your way from registered businesses who can meet them.