Many business owners will often become perplexed when posed with the question ‘Freight Delivery or Standard Shipping?’. After all, both terms once referred to the same transportation method.
‘Shipping’ was used to describe the transportation of goods by sea and ‘Freight’ originally referred to a ship’s cargo. However both terms have since taken on new meanings and have become two separate types of delivery service.
In this article we’re going to drill down into the benefits of both freight delivery and standard shipping covering the level of service you can expect from each, their price structure and how the two methods differ in regards to the way they transport goods, so you can determine which service best fits your business.
Freight Delivery
Modern freight delivery is the commercial transportation of large quantities of goods via land, air or sea. Freight delivery shipments will often only contain bulked goods sent by businesses.
Prior to the goods being sent for delivery, shipments are assigned to one of several classifications according to a number of different factors. These include the weight and height of goods, how long the shipment will be in transit for and the types of items being transported.
For example a consignment containing Food Stuff would not ideally be transported on the same shipment as gas based fuel due to the risk of spoilage. Freight Delivery shipments are therefore categorised into groups according to their contents such as express, parcel and household goods to name a few.
There are other classifications for freight delivery which are dependent on the amount of space goods will take up. In road freight specifically many forwarders will offer Less than Truckload (LTL) and Full Truckload (FTL) shipments, which as you can imagine differ in price.
We can’t speak for other freight forwarders but at Forest Freight you’ll be able to benefit from a fast, high-quality overnight distribution service for pick up and delivery of consignments as well as real time tracking on all shipments.
We have over a half a century of experience in providing haulage solutions to businesses across the UK, so if you’d like to find which delivery method will be able to best serve your needs speak to an expert member of our team today.
Standard Shipping
Standard shipping relates to the transport of both commercial and non-commercial goods. The most basic of delivery services, standard shipping, tends to take anywhere between three to five business days to deliver a consignment – of course depending on the location you are sending your packages to and from.
This will often be the delivery method used for personal goods being forwarded via mail or consumer items such as packages from an online retailer that are being delivered to customers. The fee for this delivery method should include the cost of shipping, handling and importing the items through customs if necessary.
Of course the price and the quality of standard shipping is affected if you’re sending goods internationally, as some locations around the world are significantly harder for couriers to reach than others, which will then increase transit time and shipping costs. When you opt for standard shipping, you’ll tend to receive a full tracking option so that the sender and receiver can both see a package’s delivery status but special requirements such as overnight or express delivery will not be available.
Which is better for your business?
Residential and BMEs have traditionally always used standard shipping. These businesses are unlikely to move enough volume of goods for freight delivery to become the more cost-effective option. Also if you or your business intend on sending goods to separate locations then standard shipping is able to provide a more nimble albeit slower delivery service.
As previously mentioned freight delivery is typically best suited for large quantities of goods that are intended to arrive at the same commercial destination. The distribution facilities that tend to receive these shipments need to be capable of handling thousands of pounds of goods, which is why ports and warehouses are the most commonly used arrival points.
This leads to certain freight forwarders falling victim to undue delays as their shipments have to pass through these huge facilities, however we’re not one of them. At Forest Freight we actually have 110k square feet of warehouse space available for our clients and we’re situated just minutes from London Gateway and Tilbury Docks, so our clients can rest easy safe in the knowledge their shipment will be delivered in a timely manner without any hiccups.
If you’re a business hoping to transport a substantial amount of your products and goods, freight delivery is the service best suited for you. And if you enlist our help at Forest Freight you’ll receive an exemplary service, with 24/7 support and over 60 specialised vehicles.
Book freight delivery through a haulier with all the knowledge and experience you could ever need, receive a quote from Forest Freight today!
