Which transport mode has the highest capability to transport goods?

There are a lot of transport modes when it comes to delivering your goods to your clients or customers. One must determine the right and best transport modes for your cargo.

You have to determine whether they are: (1) perishables or non-perishables, breakables, etc.; (2) supplier production lead times; (3) product availability; (4) source of supply, i.e. pick-up destination; (5) if you are going to deliver your products outside of your area, you need to check Customs and Excise rules, and; (6) the volume of your cargo.

The primary modes of transport can be rail, road, air, or water. These modes are depending on the type of your consignment, budget considerations, and how long your delivery must be. However, each mode of transport has its own advantages and disadvantages. There must be times to consider, such as the market or geographical demands and requirements, which prompt you to use more than one mode of transport to deliver the goods to their destination.

The factors you must consider in determining the best transport modes are:

1. Transportation Cost

Budget is the most important consideration in selecting the best and most suitable transport mode for the delivery of your products. Transportation costs vary based on the type and the volume of your cargo.

If heavy or bulky products are being transported over a long distance, inland, then rail transport is the most economical. Land transport, typically by trucks, is best suited for a small number of goods being transported over short distances, as it also saves packing and handling costs.

The cheapest mode of transport is water transport, albeit the slowest too, but most suited for heavy or bulky goods that need to be transported over long distances, where time is not an important factor. Air transport is the best option for transportation of perishable, fragile, and valuable goods, even though it is the most expensive.

2. Safety

Another crucial factor influencing the selection of a mode of transport is the safety and security of goods in transit. Land transport is more preferred to railway transport because the losses are less.

From the safety point of view, sea transport is the riskiest, as water transport exposes the goods to the perils of the sea, and the long duration of travel adds to the risk factors. Certain types of packaging also help in safeguarding the goods in transit and are highly recommended, but they do influence costs as well.

Some goods also require special facilities, such as refrigeration or special security measures that need to be taken into consideration when selecting a mode of transport.

3. Characteristics of goods

When selecting the mode of transport, the size and weight of goods play a crucial role. Land and air transport primarily cater to fragile and small shipments. Rail and sea transport are more suitable options for heavy shipments.

How dangerous, fragile, or high value the products are, also influences the selection of the transport mode. For breakable and fragile, high-value products, air, and land transport are the best options.

4. Reliability and Regularity of Service

The reliability and regularity parameters of different transport modes differ from each other. The urgency and speed by which the goods are to be delivered influence the decision as to which mode of transport to use. All modes of transport, land, ocean, and air, are affected by bad weather such as heavy rains, snow, fog, and storms, which may cause delays.

5. Timescale

Air transport is the best option for long distances requiring urgent and speedy transport, to meet deadlines, or because the goods are perishable or fragile. Motor transport is faster than rail transport for short-distance deliveries. However, for longer haul journeys rail is faster and more economical.

Water transport is often not suitable where time is a factor.

6. Flexibility

The most flexible mode of transport is motor or road transport, as it is not constrained by factors such as flight times, shipping routes, or pre-scheduled timetables. Motor transport can operate day and night, at personal convenience, to suit all time frames, and has the added advantage of door-to-door delivery.

With road transport in mind, cars can also become a useful transport mode. Good thing, MVI, Inc. has worked on several vehicles to become a suitable mode to transport your goods to your customers through installing GPS systems and camera surveillance. This is to ensure greater safety for both your cargo and your drivers on the road.