When we think of shipping, we mostly think of road transportation. Road transportation is excellent for short distances- it is a safe, fast and affordable way of transporting. However, in some cases, it is better to use its alternatives. For example- overseas shipping cannot be done via road. Since there are many shipping ways for shipping and logistics companies, Four Wind will help you get to know alternatives to road transport and their main characteristics!
What are alternatives to road transport?
In some cases, trucks cannot ship packages. One of those cases is overseas moves, where people move from one continent to another one. Another example is specifically heavy packages or multiple heavy packages. Trucks are not the best option for transporting delicate packages such as medical equipment, drugs, and vaccines. Therefore, alternatives come in these situations. The 3. best alternatives for road shipping are transportations via:
- Train
- Plane
- Ship
Shipping via train
Shipping companies often use trains as an alternative to road transport. They are fast, safe, and can travel great distances without trouble. Shipping via train is less expensive than air freight to Saudi Arabia or ships. It also has a big capacity. Trains usually carry multiple wagons, which means that each wagon can carry many packages. Since trains operate on railways, there are no delays, and there are even fewer accidents, meaning goods won’t damage. They are a good option but require more time than planes or ships. If a company has a flexible deadline and enough time for transportation via train, we recommend using this option. One of the cons of shipping via railroad is that trains usually can be traced harder or not at all, unlike planes.
Transporting via plane- alternative to road transport
Transporting via plane is a great option for long-distance moves. Plains are spacious and secure, and shipping via planes is one of the fastest options. They have a huge carrying capacity. There is a tiny chance of delays and damage to the packages since airplanes have a little commotion only when landing. They are also safer since plane crashes are rare these days. Goods shipped via air cargo Jeddah can often be tracked, unlike ships and trains. That is especially useful for delicate packages such as valuable goods, drugs, animals, etc. This option is a bit more expensive, especially during the holidays, but is very fast and secure.
Shipping via ships
Using ships is another road alternative and is the most common way of transporting. Overseas transportations take about 90% of all transportations. Therefore, they are great for long-distance shipping. They are also extremely spacious, meaning they can transport a couple of thousand packages. Even though this way of transportation is expensive, it pays off. This way of transporting is also very safe, and the chance of damaging the goods is minimum. Packages usually take time to transport, which cannot be good for goods that need cold chain services such as medicine, vaccines, etc.
To sum it up, alternatives to road transport are shipping via plane, train or ships. These road alternatives are great for safe, long-distance shipping and are necessary in some cases. They are a bit more expensive but pay off in the end.
