Businesses like yours often need expedited freight shipping for various reasons, such as tight deadlines, urgent last-minute orders, or unexpected demands for emergency supplies or parts. These situations require swift, reliable delivery solutions to maintain efficiency and meet critical needs effectively.
But expedited freight services encompass a number of different modes and time commitments. One-, two- or three-day air freight as well as full-truckload (FTL) and sometimes even less-than-truckload (LTL) ground freight shipping might fit the bill. So, how do you determine which one is right for your specific requirements? Here, we'll walk you through several factors that can help you decide.
How far does your expedited freight need to go?
When you hear the term "expedited freight," air freight may be the first thing that comes to mind, but in many cases, expedited ground shipping can be preferable — and more economical. Ground freight carriers can have a regional or national scope, so this mode is often ideal for shorter shipping distances, such as local or interstate destinations. FTL shipping in particular may be able to meet urgent freight delivery requirements because your truck won't need to make extra stops to load and unload other cargo that belongs to other businesses.
However, air freight does have a global reach, allowing time-sensitive freight shipments to travel across continents and oceans and to international locations that ground transportation simply cannot reach.
Is your urgent freight delivery going to a major travel hub?
With air solutions, time-sensitive freight shipments can go directly from airport to airport without multiple stops. Many carriers also offer freight-forwarding services that can provide ground transportation to and from the airport. If your origin and destination are relatively close to major travel hubs, air freight may be ideal.
But what if your freight shipping isn't traveling from or to a major metro area? One advantage of ground transportation is the ability to directly reach areas far away from airports, including rural locations. If your expedited freight shipment needs to be delivered to a non-major travel hub, such as a remote or rural area, LTL freight or FTL ground shipping may be more desirable than air freight.
What type of expedited freight are you shipping?
For certain freight shipping goods, it's crucial to be aware of regulations and restrictions. For example, air transport imposes more stringent rules on hazardous materials and controlled substances. Some hazardous materials are prohibited from air transport due to safety concerns. Additionally, the tight security protocols associated with air freight can add to the overall cost and time of shipping. So, depending on your goods, ground may be simpler or even the only option for your urgent freight delivery.
Something else to consider — are you shipping extremely valuable goods? One benefit of the more stringent controls on air travel is the increased amount of security, which can add peace of mind for high-value or irreplaceable freight.
What size is your time-sensitive shipment?
Is the freight shipping delivery you want to transport particularly large or heavy? Ground transportation is suitable for handling larger, bulkier and heavier items — such as appliances, mechanical equipment and furniture. This makes ground shipping a practical choice for oversized goods.
If you have a large urgent freight delivery, the size limitations of air freight may come into play. That's because cargo planes have space constraints compared to ground trucks. That being said, expedited freight shipments can sometimes travel in the cargo space of passenger planes, increasing the number of possible flights for your shipment. But space is typically even more limited in these scenarios than when leveraging freight-dedicated cargo planes.
How urgent is your expedited freight shipment?
For your most-urgent shipments, air freight is often the solution. Air freight shipments travel directly from the origin airport to the destination airport without any intermediate stops, typically ensuring a quicker delivery time.
But don't assume air freight is always the fastest time-sensitive freight option. There are overnight ground freight services to consider. In fact, it may take several hours or longer to secure air freight accommodations for your shipment, while ground transportation can often be booked on shorter notice. Additionally, most air freight depends on scheduled flights, whereas trucks can hit the road whenever they're needed.
Of course, delays are possible with both ground and air shipping. For ground transportation, unexpected road closures, accidents and detours can cause delays. Similarly, factors such as weather conditions or air traffic congestion can result in delays for air freight. While you can't predict the future, considering available information about weather, road and flight conditions can factor into your decision.
What are your budget concerns?
Budget considerations play a significant role in choosing the right shipping mode for time-sensitive and/or next-day freight. Ground shipping is generally more economical for shorter distances, whereas air freight tends to be more expensive due to the additional costs involved in operating cargo planes.
If budget is your top concern, see if there's an FTL or LTL option that works for your schedule. If faster delivery time is a higher priority than cost, air freight may be the better option.
Still have questions about expedited freight shipping and services?
Choosing the right expedited freight mode — let alone finding and working with carriers who can provide it — is a complex process with many factors. Did you know there are hundreds of LTL carriers and hundreds of thousands of FTL carriers in the United States alone? If you work with a third-party logistics (3PL) provider like GlobalTranz you can depend on them to provide expert guidance on choosing the right shipping modes and carriers for your urgent freight delivery.
Explore the Benefits of Expedited Freight Shipping With a 3PL Partner Like GlobalTranz
GlobalTranz has decades of experience in the logistics industry and helps thousands of shippers of all sizes move products with great efficiency. We are also part of WWEX Group, alongside Worldwide Express and Unishippers. Combined, these three companies make up one of the largest and most diverse 3PLs in the industry, providing shippers with top solutions that help them succeed. Through our full suite of shipping solutions, we service more than 48 million shipments annually, and have the resources and expertise to work with companies of all sizes in nearly every industry.
See how GlobalTranz can help you transform your freight shipping. If you are ready to talk to an expert, reach out for a free consultation today!