Air Freight vs. Ocean Freight: Which Is Right for Your Business?

Companies dealing with global shipments have always confronted this unique question-Sea freight or air freight; which is better way for my shipment?

On number one, you have air freight. Famous for its fast delivery. On the contrary, we have the ocean freight. It is known for its cost-effective services and the capability to handle huge cargo weights.

Both things have their own pros and cons. While opting for both the services has never been an easy task.

Nonetheless, this guide will answer your question in a snap. We will compare both these cargo options on seven different parameters and assist you make a well-thought decision.

Things to Look for When Considering Air Freight and Ocean Freight

1. Budget

In most cases, ocean freight has always been the budget-friendly option among the two. In fact, one study shows that air freight is priced 12 to 16 times higher than ocean freight. A 100-dollar ocean shipment will cost a minimum of 1200 dollars if we ship it by air freight.

Nonetheless, there is an interesting fact. The difference occurs when the total weight of your cargo is substantial. 

When a bundle is small and less than the weight of a whole container, we calculate its cost in cubic meters. In most cases, this can actually cost way more than air freight. But, for the same package.

At last, in this regard, the credit goes to ocean freight. But the only condition is, that the package size should be small.

2. Duration of Shipment

Air freight has already won the game in this regard. The duration of shipment through ocean freight is 4 to 6 weeks. On the other hand, air freight can deliver your cargo within a few days or at most a few weeks. Therefore, a comparison between air and ocean freight is impossible and useless.

Three Major Pros of Air Freight

1. Because air freight is shipped by airplane. That is why it is very spacious. Therefore, it can ship all your goods in one go. Then, we have ocean freight. Ocean freight requires rail and trucks to reach their destination.

2. Unlike air freight, ocean freight has many obstacles in its way to reach its destination. Here is why it takes too much time to reach its destination. Delay in port, custom and bad weather conditions. These are the reasons of delay in shipment through ocean freight.

3. Air freights are operated on daily basis; and has multiple flights in a day. However, even if the deadline is near, there won’t be any much delay. On the other hand, if we compare it to ocean freight, it operates occasionally.

Once again, the credit in this regard goes to air freight. So, the next time you plan to order any cargo, choose the air option.

3. Quantity of Cargo

MSC Irina is a container ship and the largest cargo ship in the world. It has the capacity to carry 24,346 twenty-foot equivalent units of cargo. Each separate container is 20 feet long. However, it is 1,172 cubic feet in size. Now, if you do the calculation of it, isn’t it mind-boggling? Of course it is.

The capacity of air freight is only a half of it. The Boeing 747 is considered to be one of the biggest aircraft in the world. The capacity of this freighter plane can hold only about 26,000 cubic feet of cargo.

If you want to transport bulky or heavy cargo, choose ocean freight. The same thing goes to large-scale shipments. However, if you want to send perishable goods, then no other way than air freight would be better.

However, again, we have a winner regarding this topic: air freight.

4. Environmental Impact

The difference between air freight and ocean freight is simple. Fuel consumption, emissions, and overall sustainability are the differences between air freight and ocean freight. Let’s compare air freight to ocean freight. Ocean freights consist of lower carbon footprint per ton of cargo transported. 

Here are some numbers as proof-

• The average number of flights emits 500 grams of carbon dioxide.

• Ships exude only between 10 and 40 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer.

Also, new regulations around the carbon emissions of ships were applied last year in January. According to these regulations, both new and old ships have to necessarily decrease or purchase balanced carbon credits to offset their carbon emissions. This means ships’ carbon emissions are going to decrease even more. This also makes them economical than ever.

Therefore, if you are an entrepreneur who wants to keep things eco-friendly, you have the answer to your question now.

However, this time, the winner in this regard is ocean freight.

5. Cargo Safety

Here come a few factors that don’t have a particular winner. Ultimately, it depends on the condition and nature of your cargo. It also depends on safely loading and unloading your cargo.

One study suggests that ocean freight has an extreme risk of theft or damage of cargo before it reaches its destination. It depends on the factor that first, it has to go through the hands of many handlers. If we compare it to air freight, it is a better and safer way. In air freight, the cargo is handled carefully. Thus, the risk of damaged cargo drops. Also, the chances of theft are low. For small, valuable cargo, air freight is the optimal option.

Another study suggests that ocean freight is also a good option for cargo safety. After all, cargo is properly packed into typical containers. This happens before loading them into the ships. Thes containers securely transport the goods this way. Or you can say that, ocean freight is a better option of transporting your cargo if it is fragile. 

Certainly, the credit in this regard goes to both the freights. Why? Because each one freight option is optimal in their own nature.

Wrap Up

As you just saw, that we can’t compare air freight and ocean freight to each other. Each type of freight is unique and best in its own way. It all depends on the nature of the cargo and other scenarios. However, no matter which freight you go for, each one has their own complexities. You have to stay active on the updates and make data-driven decisions according to that. Certainly, this is where Freighify become a game-changer.

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