Although the first factors that may come to mind is the economic one and decide on the transport with the lowest cost, the truth is that to choose the most appropriate transport for your merchandise you must take into account several other factors. For example, the success of your business results will not only depend on saving transportation costs, but also on the time it takes for the merchandise to reach its delivery point. Check out shiply for affordable transport and load board.
In view of this, experts in merchandise transport logistics, recommends that before choosing the means of transport, the company must make an analysis of the type of merchandise to be transported, the delivery time and it must be known in detail the characteristics of each of the different media, to know which the one that best suits the needs is.
Main factors to evaluate
Class of merchandise: in general, any type of merchandise can be transported in any of the types of transport like shipping to Nigeria from UK. But we must bear in mind that if we want to transport dangerous goods, such as flammable products, chemicals, etc., a plane trip will not be the best option.
Route: it is necessary to make an evaluation of the route of the merchandise, to know from which point it leaves and to what point it must arrive in order to evaluate the conditions of the route and the weather. In this way we can choose a means that guarantees the safety and security of our packages. Security: in relation to the protection of the quality of the merchandise, it is best that fragile products travel comfortably by plane, while if you choose to send cargo by sea, it is a good idea to pack them in containers that protect them from theft.
Speed: although it is not the most relevant factor when making a decision, it must be taken into account that the immediacy with which the cargo will reach its receiver demonstrates efficiency in the processes, which is of high value for the client. Budget: of course the cost of the transfer represents a very important factor in the selection process, but it must also be weighed in relation to the factor of safety and security.
Type of transport
Sea
It is the means of transport that can transport more merchandise, so it is the most chosen by companies for international trade and although it is not the fastest transport, it is compensated by being the most economical for long distances. Here you must not forget that you will need a second means of transport to move your merchandise from the ports.
Air
It is the transport par excellence for urgent shipments or for fragile and/or high-value merchandise. Its strengths are speed and safety, but consequently, this generates high costs, making it the most expensive transport. In addition, this transport can accommodate the least amount of merchandise and has greater weight and volume limitations, so it is necessary to evaluate other means, perhaps slower, but with more cargo space.
Highway
This is the most recommended route when we have to reach short and medium distances quickly, in addition to offering you to go where none of the other means can. Stainless steel drums are hardwearing industrial storage solutions, but there’s much to consider and plan for when it’s time to transport them through the highway. On the other hand, its weak point is its high risk of suffering accidents on the road and compromising the load.
Train
It is useful when the shipping volume is high since all the containers are transported to the destination in one trip; it can carry the equivalent of 400 trucks. Also, it offers fast deliveries over distances greater than 800 kilometers and guarantees the safety of the merchandise during the journey. As with the sea, this means it must also be taken into account that the second means of transport such as trucks or trailers must be hired to complete the shipment.
Multimodal transport
As it is the combination of different means of transport, it allows speeding up the goods reception processes. It is important to take into account both the weight and the volume of the merchandise so that we can ensure that it can be transported safely in the means we choose. Remember that some loads are too big and heavy to travel by plane, while others are too fragile to travel by boat. In conclusion, the best choice will depend on the needs and type of merchandise to be transported, and the success of the shipment, on a good analysis of the different options at the time of the choice.