Which type of logistic transportation mode is right for your business?

Hello, readers! I'm Mathews currently pursuing 2nd year MBA at Amrita School of Business, Coimbatore.   Here's my new blog post!

    In a world where fast shipping is a must have, choosing the right type of logistics transportation for your business is critical for the success, the safety of your product and the customer satisfaction. In this post, let's analyse pros and cons of choosing a particular logistics transportation business.

Factors which needs to be considered while selecting mode of transportation:

*Nature of your product: hazardous, perishable or challenging to handle? dimensions of the shipping container?

*Location: shipping origin and shipping destination, border restrictions/clearance and the cost involved, consumer requirements such as fast/normal delivery

*Time:  time of year you’re moving your product? Festival, holiday etc.

*Urgency: How urgent is your shipment?

*Budget: transportation budget considering all the costs involved.

*Existing relationships: shipping and logistics companies with which you have relationship already.

Here is a breakdown of each transportation method and its pros and cons:

1. Truck Freight — Road Transportation

Pros:

*Implements fewer restrictions

*Costs less than air and ship transportation

*Allows for more accessibility

*Offers more options:  Depending on the shipping company, you can choose from things like parcel, full truck and less than truckload(LTL) shipping

*Allows for door-to-door shipment

Cons:

*Time involved: Truck freight can take longer due to problems like road closures, bad weather or heavy traffic 

*Control: you do not have as much control over how your products are handled.

2. Ship — Marine Transportation

Pros:

*Accommodates more space and weight

*Costs less than air transportation

*Enhances the safety of the shipment

Cons:

*Cost: may not always be the most economical

*Speed: maritime shipping takes much longer

3. Train — Rail Transportation

Pros:

*Offers more carrying capacity

*Reduces the chances of delays

*Minimizes its environmental impact

Cons:

*Transit time: Rail transport is slower than truck and air freight

*Accessibility is less based on geographic constraints

4. Plane — Air Transportation

Pros:

*Allows for speedy deliveries

*Offers enhanced security

Cons:

*Cost: Air transport is more expensive

*Limitations: Airplanes have a set weight capacity

Choosing the right mode of logistics is important for any business to satisfy it’s customer and balance it’s expenses.