Here at PEI we specialize and deal with road freight almost exclusively. However, sometimes your business needs extra logistics solutions rather than just road. We know that in the logistics world, there’s tons of different modes of transportation, including road, sea, air and rail. If we were to rank them in terms of most common freight transportation method used in the USA, it would look like this: road, rail, sea and then air. Choosing the right mode of transportation and logistics partner for your cargo is super important to make sure you’re moving your goods in the most efficient and cost-effective way. Different forms of cargo require very different and tailored transportation solutions and understanding the distinct differences between the suitability of modes for various cargo types is essential for businesses to make better and more informed decisions 🚚🚢🛫🚂

Let’s take a look at where we can help with road transport and also the other common modes of transportation that you wouldn’t come to PEI for, so we can all understand how each one can optimize your supply chain efficiency.

Road 🚚

Road transportation is the most commonly sought-after solution when thinking of logistics. And we would love to think you’ll come to us at PEI when you do need road solutions 😉. It’s the most versatile of the methods we are going to touch on and is the most widely used. Road transportation is a great option as it offers door-to-door delivery service. It’s suited to all distance types, including short distances to long distances like across States. The volume of freight being moved is also no problem. If you’ve got less than truckload (LTL) road transportation is incredibly cost-effective or a full truckload (FTL) which is an efficient option for moving large items or large quantities of goods and reduces handling and transit times, plus there’s always the option in emergencies to expedite your freight.

Although we could speak all day about how great road transportation is as a logistical solution because we are experts in this field 😉. We should probably also discuss a few things that can negatively impact the efficiency of road transportation i.e., weather conditions, road conditions and traffic. All of these factors, that are entirely out of anybody’s control can have a huge impact on delivery schedules. So bare this in mind!

Sea 🚢

Another common term for sea freight is Maritime freight, which it will be referred to as commonly. When referring to this mode of transport it involves the movement of cargo on ships across oceans, seas and other waterways. Although we don’t offer this mode of transport as an option at PEI, we do understand that it’s a vital solution to transporting freight internationally across countries and continents. Almost anything can be transported using sea solutions, but it’s especially good for transporting large volumes of bulk goods, crude oil and containerized goods.

A huge advantage of sea shipping, is the ability to transport large amounts of cargo efficiently and at a low cost per unit. Containerized goods enables standard cargo to be loaded, unloaded and transferred between multiple ships and different modes of transportation.

Again, although this is a fantastic option for tons of businesses we need to touch on some potentially negative considerations like, no option for expedited services due to shipping schedules, transit times, port availability and multimodal shipping. The entire shipment process cannot always end at a port and might require road freight or another mode of transportation too.

Air 🛫

Generally speaking air freight is the fastest mode to transport goods across long distances via Airplane. Which makes it a great choice for time-sensitive cargo, it’s most likely used for high-value goods as it’s a more expensive option of transportation due to its expedited nature and limited cargo capacity on the aircraft. However, the speed and reliability of this service can outweigh the higher price tag for businesses.

Like sea freight, air freight solutions require multimodal shipping to complete a job, so that is a large factor to consider. Along with the nitty gritty of cargo dimensions, weight, hazardous material restrictions and flight schedules.

Again, we don’t offer air freight solutions. However, we do have experience in this field, so even if you just want some advice from a friendly expert we are more than happy to help point you in the right direction 😊.

Rail 🚂

Rail transportation is another method that is known for its efficiency of moving bulk and heavy goods across long distances, using trains. It’s generally preferred when needing to move raw materials, minerals, and industrial products. Rail transport is much more efficient on fuel than road and air transportation, which in turn produces lower carbon emissions and creates a more eco-friendly choice of sustainable logistics.

However, again rail is another one of those options that requires multi-modal. Because it lacks in the ability to meet door-to-door delivery service. Therefore, you will have to utilize multiple methods of transportation to bridge the gaps between railways and the cargos final destination. Again, like sea freight you cannot expedite this service, so that’s another downside in the case of an urgent shipment.

This is another example of mode of transportation that we do not offer unfortunately, but we just wanted to bring rail freight to your attention as it might be a great fit for your businesses needs.

 

Not Commonly Thought Of Method: Pipeline

There’s another commonly used mode of transportation that is actually overlooked by most when thinking of logistics and that’s via pipeline. It’s a great option for moving liquids, gases and solids. Especially over long distances, in fact the USA has the largest network of pipelines in the world. Millions of miles of pipelines span across the States. Which creates a transportation system to deliver fuels and feedstocks to businesses, consumers and manufacturers. Although, this one may be a little more niche and the conditions of your cargo would have to fit right and again would require multi-modal shipping. Now, you’ll want to partner with an expert in pipeline logistics for this one and unfortunately this is another mode that we don’t specialize in at PEI 🙁, we just knew we needed to make businesses aware of this great option.

What’s Right For Your Cargo?

When you’ve worked out all factors of your cargo including characterists such as: volume, destination and delivery time-frame. Here’s some things to consider before choosing which mode of transport will suit your businesses freight.

• Cargo Type – Is your cargo perishable, hazardous, bulky or specialized? All of these things will determine the best mode of transport for you.

 

• Destination – Consider how far your goods need to travel. If you require short distance shipping you might favor road transport. Whereas, if you need long haul shipping you would benefit from using air freight or sea freight.

 

• Budget & Time Sensitivity – Have a play-off with your budget and urgency of your shipments. Air transport may be the quickest option for shipping, however if it’s not financially viable for your business then you might benefit from a slightly slower option like road or sea transportation.

Conclusion…

Understanding everything that we’ve spoken about in this post helps businesses to make more educated and informed decisions. It especially highlights the different types of transportation methods that are available and how they could impact your businesses needs. When you align the nature of your freight with the strengths of each transportation mode, you can optimize your supply chain for efficiency and cost effectiveness.

Where multi-modal is needed, we like to think PEI will be your number 1 option to take on the road freight side of things, if you don’t work with an all in one provider. But as the title suggests and we’ve spoken about throughout this blog, PEI will not always be a choice for shipping your freight. If you require anything other than road freight then finding a different partner will be required. But then make sure you come back to us for your road freight needs 😄

How Can PEI Help?

Although we’d love to say we can help you with ANY transportation solution, we can’t, but where possible we will try our best to help you organize your businesses logistics! We fully understand that sometimes businesses require the use of sea, air, rail and pipeline transportation and we simply don’t offer these services. At PEI we specialize in road freight and we’re great at getting anything you need to where you need it and when! We can confidently say we don’t shy away from anything and can make your “impossible” shipments possible 😁. We’ve written another super helpful blog post that explains a bit more about road transportation and the different services within it. Which you can read here 😁.

 

Need help with any of your road shipments?

At PEI we’re experts in dealing with specialized freight and can handle yours with any custom requirements.