Sea Freight: An Impact on Cargo Management

Sea freight operations are a critical component of shipping operations in many countries. This article describes the logistics of sea freight operations and outlines some of the key factors that determine the success of a sea freight operation.As you probably know, a ship that sails from one port to another will most likely go to a port that is just a day or two away on normal days. In the past this meant that ships went to ports where the owners could not ship their cargo directly. The advantage to them was that they could change the cargo and avoid any extra expenses.But now that the capacity is so limited, the disadvantage for the owners is that if there is no good location for the ships to dock, the ships are held at the port and then take the cargo back to their home port, where it has to be unloaded. It may also mean that the owners have to pay extra costs to remove the ships and load them onto a truck and cart them to the next port of call. So, the new storage facility may be a minimum of a few days away. This can make a big difference when you consider that it could have cost less to have a container in a good location.This situation can make some cargo owners want to think about sea freight. But are sea freight operations right for them? Should they consider shipping to a port located offshore? How would it affect their shipping costs?There are a number of advantages of sea freight operations that may make it an attractive option for cargo owners. One of the benefits is that they are both faster and cheaper than land transport. But that doesn't mean they aren't competitive with land routes as well.A ship that arrives at a port one day arrives the next day. All it takes is a plane and a connection. So, a ship that is taking a full load of cargo on one day that has a chance of arriving in its place of origin one day and leaving the next day, can make a profit. And, there's a lot of money to be made on goods like food and equipment.You'll find that foodstuffs and raw materials that are very heavy or are highly perishable are a great place to look for goods that can be shipped on a sea route. Larger goods that can't be shipped from land can also be sent by sea as there is very little congestion and delivery time are a lot shorter.Of course, containers are also used for many of the same reasons and will be shipped in large way bags and racks. One of the best places to find sea freight in the US is in Atlanta. There are several smaller regional cargo ports here and we find that the quality of cargo and services is top notch.One company we work with has started a new project to ship goods across the Atlantic Ocean and use a vessel to pick up the goods at sea and return them to their West Coast ports. We believe this is a sound business decision for the company and the sea freight service has been extremely successful for the company. We are also impressed with the entire international shipment process and the way the whole thing has been done.There are other companies that have worked with us as well. These companies are all interested in shipping to a good location and to using container size and ensuring the best goods get there. We've had plenty of time to talk to them about the logistics of sea freight and we've learned a lot of information that could help future companies.Some of the more exotic locations we've seen for sea freight include the Mediterranean, off the coast of Mexico, South America, Europe and the United States seaport of Long Beach. Because of the sea freight expertise and experience we've had so far, we don't see these locations as being difficult for a business that takes pride in delivering the best products.With the supply chain at its best, the supply chain is as fragile as the sea freight and ship network itself. And, by getting our advice, this is one area where we want to see that everyone is working together for the best results. Sea freight has changed the industry and made shipping and the delivery of goods more cost effective.