Which is cheaper, shipping by air or ocean?

DGX Which is Cheaper: air or ocean?It could be either depending on your shipment and circumstances. It might surprise you that air shipping may very well be less expensive even though that’s contrary to supply-chain-savings logic because air shipping is traditionally a higher cost mode of transport than ocean freight.

Often, the economics of ocean freight shipping are less costly because of the relatively lower cost of transport, and, when shipping by ocean, economies of scale are achieved compared to an expensive aircraft capable of carrying only a fraction of the cargo.

However, not all shipments are created equal. Ocean shipping is not necessarily the overall least expensive shipping method. Air shipping will be least costly if a speedy and timely delivery is important. Consider the potentially high cost of not delivering your goods on time, per contractual agreements, resulting in lost sales, lost profits and/or lost opportunities. If products, materials, parts, samples, equipment or other vital components of your business do not arrive by agreed-upon deadlines, then there really is no cost savings of using slower, less expensive ocean shipping.

When considering whether to ship by air or sea, don’t forget the increased monetary opportunity being able to spread your products farther than you ever thought possible.

At DGX-Dependable Global Express, we specialize in International ocean freight, plus domestic and international air cargo shipping. If you need assistance, please reach out to your local office or call 888.488.4888 toll free and we can help you.

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