When is ocean freight the best modal for my cargo?

FOX Brasil Freight Forwarder

Ocean Freight is the most common modal of worldwide cargo transportation. There are many factors that explain its popularity, such as low costs and the possibility to consolidate. However, with so many factors to consider, forwarders are often unsure whether or not ocean freight is the ideal modal to move their merchandise.

Thinking about this, we have created this post to help you define under which circumstances ocean freight is an indicated shipping method. We hope it will make it easier for you to understand the particularities of this modal and analyze if it’s the most suitable option to attend your demands.

When to move your cargo through ocean freight?

Although air freight’s agility is incomparable to any other modal (learn more about its advantages and disadvantages here), ocean freight is by far the most economical way of moving your cargo overseas. Therefore, this modal attracts many exporters and importers looking for viable transportation solutions, which will fit in their budget and increase profit margins.

However, there is more to consider than just the price. Ocean Freight is also seen as one of the best modals of transportation due to the ship’s incredibly high capacity of cargo. Such wide cargo spaces can be ideal for exporters with a large shipment (FCL) and also to those who wish to consolidate in order to ship small parcels (LCL).

Additional factors to consider

The major factor that makes people choose not to use ocean freight to ship their cargo is how long it will take for the merchandise to arrive at its destination. Unlike air freight, goods shipped by sea are likely to take a long time (maybe even months) to reach their final stop. Not to mention that shippers also need to consider the time it will take for their containers to be loaded/unloaded and cleared by customs. Besides being a slower mean of transportation, ocean freight also presents higher risks to the cargo’s integrity during the shipping process.

Therefore, ocean freight might not be the ideal option for those who need to transport their cargo with a certain urgency or want their goods to be handled with extreme caution. On the other hand, this modal is the most indicated one for some project cargo operations, which require special accommodation conditions to transport oversized or overweight cargoes.

Get the assistance of logistics specialists

Count on FOX Brasil to give you full support in representing your customers’ cargo overseas. As part of our services, we will not only indicate the ideal shipping method for your demand but also develop a personalized solution to handle your goods with priority, safety, and efficiency.

Click here to learn more about our complete and cost-effective ocean freight solutions!