Friday, September 23, 2011

What You Should Know About Air Freight Carriers


Freight is technically the term used to describe the cargo for shipment. Air freight, on the other hand, is the cargo that is being shipped via air. This may be done using typical passenger airplane aboard the cargo area or through specialized cargo planes dedicated for this special industry.

It is primarily divided into three categories: a) household goods, b) express deliveries, c) parcel shipment, and d) freight shipments.

Each of which is priced depending on the system as provided by the National Motor Freight Classification. Each class also corresponds to the goods that can be shipped. Say for household goods, only those that can be considered furniture and household appliances can be subjected to price ranges and services provided in this area. Express deliveries, in general, include items such as mails, business papers and envelopes. Parcels, on the other hand, include those items that are usually boxed. Freight shipment though covers all other huge items that can't be accommodated by services functioning in the lower classes.

Air freight is further subdivided into two categories: The Less-than-Truckload Freight which basically accommodate items that are less than 15 000 pounds and have the height of exactly 28 inches or even lesser than that. The other subcategory of freight shipments is the Truckload Freight that covers item weighing 43 000 pounds or less and has the length not exceeding to 53 inches.

Shipments larger than these are often carried by super cargo planes. Those relatively huge items such as military equipments, planes and helicopters are carried through the Antonov AN-225- the largest cargo plane in the world.

For each type of air freight cargo, there is basically some air freight carriers to do the job. Most often than not, smaller items can be shipped using passenger air planes turned into air freight carriers.

Boeing 747-400 is usually configured into air freight carrier since it has space large enough to accommodate items for forwarding. But since it is not purely designed as an air freight carrier, there are some crucial limitations that impedes to its absolute use for this exact purpose. Nevertheless, when used as an air freight carrier, it may function well enough to transport cargoes of various kinds towards their proper destinations.

Air freight carriers like Bekins and North American Van Lines specialize in household goods delivery. FedEx Express, UPS and DHL top rate the field of express deliveries yet it is basically everybody's game since this field appears to be the easiest route when you want to make money in the forwarding business. Leading air freight carriers in the parcel division (also known as ground shipment) are FedEx Grounds and UPS. While for Less-than-Truckload and Truckload freight areas, air freight carrier names like Old Dominion, AAA Cooper, Averett Express, Roadway, Schneider and JB Hunt are the most trusted.

In the air freight industry, there are also middlemen in the playing field. These are often called as freight brokers since they are the institutions that create arrangements between shippers and air freight companies. Brokers are reached through online marketplaces. They are the best sources for discounts since they have the direct contacts with air service providers.

Major air freight brokers are CHRobinson, Hub Group, Twin Modal and Rockwell.

If you want better and easier access to the names we have listed above, it is best to find sources through online intermediaries such as Transcore DAT, Freightquote.com and uShip.com.

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Why Everybody is Enjoying that Air Freight Advantage

The popularity of air freight services can be attributed to the many advantages that it can give to the people. Not only are you assured that your package will arrive in the best condition, you are also assured that it will be received not a moment too late.

In the past, people were not anymore too happy about sending packages. There were a lot of complaints about lost packages and damaged or missing goods. Those who have not availed of air freight services became wary of using one.

In time, air freight services realized that the only way to maintain customer satisfaction is to provide them with the best of service. In the highly competitive market of today, there is little doubt where customer will put their trust into. And that is for the service that can bring their packages in their desired destination on time and in the best condition.

Other advantages of air freight services.

Global.

Having branches around the world is very important. This is because timely reports are needed about the present weather condition in a specific place or location. Since packages are set to be delivered at the certain time, it is vital that it should be delivered as promised.

The air freight service should be updated about weather conditions as well as other important factors that might hinder on-time delivery. Knowing about these factors beforehand, they will be able to consider other methods or strategy so that the delivery will not be compromised.

As long as there are frequent updates on the situations around the world or in the location where the package is headed, customers can expect their shipment to be received safely and on time.

Door-to-door.

People are not into going out and picking up their packages. This is especially for those who are too busy with other things to bother picking up a package and those who need to take the trip just to get to the pick-up location.

Air freight services offer door-to-door delivery. Now you do not have to leave your home just to get your package. As long as the sender gave out the detailed location, the handler will be able to locate them easily.

These services are equipped with a map of their area. Every street and corner is presented in the map. In addition, the delivery people are highly trained to know the quickest route to the point of destination. The best of the best freight service will even guide the delivery up until the package is delivered at the receiver's front door.

Anywhere and anytime.

Air freight services are on call whenever and whenever you need them. These services know that when it comes to delivering important things and materials, every second counts.

Some air freight services are even open 24 hours. Their customer service is also on call whenever people want to ask for information or track down their packages.

Wherever you are in the world, you can always find a number of air freight services that will provide you with the kind of service that you need.

Why wait for the next holiday to bring home your package. And why wait for someone you can trust to send that long overdue materials. Make the most of the advantages that air freight services can give you today.

How Does Air Freight Service Works

Our present day living is driven by the need to communicate, to be informed and to send various items worldwide. And due to time constraint and the immediate necessity to transfer everything in the fastest mode of transportation available, the airline and cargo industry devised ways of carrying cargoes while maximizing time incurred during the process.

Cargo shipment by air is now termed to as air freight service. Items shipped at this mode range anywhere from a couple of pounds to as much as 43 000 pounds. Therefore accommodating almost all items that need for immediate shipment.

Parcels and express letters are typically the easiest to ship due to relatively handy size and weight. For larger-sized items however, various methods of shipment are required for travel and services vary depending on the number of categories including:

§ The size and weight of the item
§ The duration (number of days) required for shipment
§ The type of item

There are four basic categories for shipments namely:

a. Household goods which cover items such as furniture and the likes.

b. Overnight express or express shipments that deliver personal and business items which are observably lighter and smaller in size. These often come in the packaging of the carrier or the service provider and are often delivered overnight or within a couple of days, depending on the choice of service the shipper agreed on.

Parcel delivery, on the other hand, covers those items that are typically boxed. The services vary and packaging may be provided by the company or should the shipper chooses, may be shipped on the box of their own.

The duration of delivery varies yet typical of this kind is the speed of 500 to 700 miles per day, providing it a coast to coast travel of around 4 days.

Beyond this types are the LTL and TL freights. These are the actual air freight services and obviously cover cargoes that need big-time shipments.

Items covered in this category often weigh 15 000 pounds to around 43 000 pounds and have lengths not exceeding 53 inches long.

For each type of service level comes different corresponding prices. Parcel and express packages have pretty simpler system of pricing as compared with cargoes covered in the Less-than-Truckload-Freight and Truckload Freight which have more complicated systems of pricing.

National Motor Freight Classification is the system of pricing that monitors and dictates what price must be given to each item depending on its loadability, density, mixability and a number of other factors.

Theoretically, fragile items require higher costs of shipment since they fall in the freight class 125 to 500.

Denser items such as industrial machineries and steel require lesser care yet take most of the weight falls under the freight class 50 to 85.

Generally, these freight classes have assigned prices for which the assigned class corresponds to the base rate given.

While most air freight service providers can be contacted directly, heavier cargoes require freight brokers for easier arrangements and for the facilitation of savings. Such brokers can be contacted through online marketplaces. They have the hand for directly arranging shipments at much lower rates since they act as intermediaries between carriers and shippers.

It is good to remember that when shipping cargoes with any type of air freight service chosen, you must know in full all the terms and conditions included.