What is Freight Transport?

Freight transportation is the process of conveying different types of goods from one point to another using a variety of transport modes. The transport of freight can involve road solutions, air deliveries and even the use of waterways to move the freight from a point of origin to a destination. Here are some examples of the different incarnations of freight transport and what types of goods may be moved using these solutions.

One of the more common modes of freight transportation involves moving the goods over land. There are two common means of accomplishing effective land-based freight transport. One solution is to use long haul or short haul trucking firms to transport the goods. This approach involves contracting with a trucking company to pick up, transport, and deliver the goods to a specific location. Many businesses routinely use this solution to receive raw materials needed for production, as well as deliver finished goods to buyers.

A second land freight solution is the use of rail freight transport. This solution involves the use of railways to move goods. Freight cars or detachable containers are loaded with the goods, then moved through a network or railways until arriving at their destination. It is not unusual for shippers to use a combination of trucks and rail services in order to manage dependable road freight transport.

In addition to land solutions, freight transport is sometimes achieved by the use of waterways. With water freight transport, containers are filled with goods to be moved to a new location. The containers are stacked and secured in place, helping to minimize the potential for shifting during the transport process. The ship or barge then makes use of rivers, lakes, or even the ocean to deliver the products to a point of destination. Water freight transportation is often a viable and cost effective solution when delivering goods to locations far removed from the manufacturer or seller of the goods.

Air freight options are another example of effective freight transport. This solution is often viable when goods must be delivered without delay. While air freight is often faster, it can often be the most expensive of all freight transport options. However, the cost is often offset by preventing any temporary shutdowns in production or missing a sale due to an inability to provide the sold goods to a buyer within an acceptable time frame.

It is not unusual for freight transportation services to make use of more than one option to manage the timely and effective transportation of freight. Goods may be moved by truck or rail to a seaport, where they are then loaded onto a ship or barge and transported to a remote location. At the receiving port, the goods are loaded into a rail car or container and transported over land to the final destination. For extremely remote locations, air freight may also be used to move the good to the point of termination. Many transportation services either provide all of these services or have working agreements with other freight transport providers to manage the successful shipment and delivery of different types of freight.