Transporting goods from one location to another requires a guarantee of their safety and timely delivery. Sometimes, the transportation of goods is dependent on two or more modes of transport called intermodal transportation.
Every transportation mode has its effects on time, operation, and logistics. With numerous options available as a mode of good transportation, you may get confused about which one to choose. However, the most common type of transportation within a state/country is ground transport.
The mode of transportation is affected by distance, topography, cost, weight, and more. There are many other factors to consider when choosing the best goods transportation mode based on your business needs. Therefore, it becomes essential for you to decide which is the best transportation mode for your goods.
Factors That Affect the Mode of Transportation Of Goods
Budget Consideration
The most important thing to consider when choosing which goods transportation mode you should go with is cost. How much money are you willing to pay? And is ground transport by road better or by rail? The cost to transport your goods can also vary depending on the weight of your goods.
For the transportation of heavy or bulkier goods, the rail mode would be suitable. However, if the goods are small in amount and easy to handle, you can go for land transportation by bus or by truck. There are many reputable transport companies that offer excellent ground transport services.
Water is also a cheap option to transport your goods. However, it takes so much time. Therefore, if time is not a problem for you, you can go by sea transport. Moreover, you must consider hidden costs and insurance premiums as well and make the appropriate adjustments to your budget.
Transit Time
Perhaps, the second most important point to consider is your transit time. When do you want your goods to be delivered? The transit time for each transportation mode is different. Transport by road can take 2-4 days, rail can take 7-10 days, while transportation by water can take 10-14 days. Transportation by air is the most expensive mode and takes only 1-2 days.
Weigh all pros and cons of all modes of transportation. If time is your foremost consideration, and you need to deliver them as fast as possible, you should opt for an airplane. However, ground transport from an efficient company can deliver your products much faster if requested and at a very reasonable rate.
Safety
Safety is an obvious factor to consider when deciding on your mode of transport. There is no certainty of an accident in any of the modes. However, there are more risk factors in sea transport because of the number of days it takes for your goods to reach their destination.
This makes land transport to be a preferred way of transporting goods because of its safety and quicker delivery. The safest mode is by air. However, this can be costly for you.
Reliable Company
When deciding on your mode of transportation check its reliability. Imagine working with a company that has low shipping costs but can never deliver on time? What is the point of getting services from such a company? You may save money temporarily, but this can end up costing you more in the long run and also damage your business’ reputation.
Choose a company that is reliable and known for providing efficient services. Check their reviews and testimonials. Make sure that they keep you in the loop till your goods are delivered to your destination.
Services
Check the services that your goods management company offers. Do they provide all services from the collection up to the delivery of goods, or will there be other companies involved in the delivery of your goods? If the delivery of your goods involves more than one company, this will cost you both money and time. Therefore, ask for the services that your company provides.
Capacity Of Goods
Another one of the basic factors to consider is logistics. The capacity of the goods that your transportation mode can carry matters a lot. Not knowing the capacity of your goods could mean that you might have to work with different companies or send your goods on multiple trips. This can significantly increase your cost and can take much of your time. Service with more capacity for goods is preferable.
The factors mentioned above will help you in choosing the most suitable mode for the transportation of your goods whether within the country or overseas. The right transport company will manage the transportation of your goods with responsibility.