Shipping Supplies by Ground, Air or Sea: The Advantages of Each for the Small Business By Ron Bailey

Nearly every small business owner knows the importance of sticking to a budget, especially during those volatile first few years of operation when you’re in the red. It’s not usually within your budget to buy all of the equipment you’ll need to keep your supply chain transporting smoothly, nor is it something you can devote much of your time to when you have so much else to deal with. But it’s an essential part of your business’ success, and you need to rely on experts to get the job done. If you can’t create an entire department from scratch, it makes more sense to rely on a third party.

A professional transportation service company will design a supply chain solution that works for your budget and individual needs. They’ll likely provide you with multiple options, including ground, air and sea shipping. You have to decide which one makes the most sense for your business’ needs, or if you need more than one type depending on how quickly you need things to move, what you need to move and where you need to move it. The transportation service company will offer advice if you ask for it, but it helps to know what you’re looking for and how much you’re willing to spend beforehand.

Ground

If you import or export anything outside of the country, you’re not going to be able to rely on ground transportation alone. However, if there are domestic stops along the way, you may find ground transportation the most convenient and affordable of your options. Your transportation service company will provide you a quote upfront based on a number of factors, including distance traveled, weight of the items, and frequency of transport. You won’t have to worry about road conditions or fluctuating gas prices as any delays and cost adjustments will be reflected in your quote.

A lot of small businesses operate on a much smaller scale than their large corporation competitors. They’re also more willing to deal with other local businesses. If you need to get a load across town instead of across the world, for example, ground transportation is practically a no-brainer.

Air

The main advantage of air transportation is speed. Although potentially the priciest of your supply chain delivery options, the right transportation service company will work with you to get the quote down to a number that fits in with your budget. If you need supplies across the country or across the world – even just across the state – fast, then air is the way to go. You won’t have to deal with the headache of customs, either, as the transportation service company will take care of that for you. If you’ve promised a finished product or delivery faster than usual to a buyer, you need to get your supply chain moving at a much higher rate of speed.

Sea

Sea transportation is only necessary for small businesses that deal with supply chain transportation to or from other countries, but many small businesses deal with manufacturers in foreign nations. It’s much slower than air transportation, but it’s significantly cheaper, and there are fewer restrictions on the types of things you can move than there are with air transport. If your budget is tight and you have a lot of things to transport over a great distance, sea might be the way to go.

Chances are, depending on the scope of your business, all three types of transport may come into play at some point. Still, it’s helpful to decide which type is most advantageous for the majority of your supply chain transportation and devote most of your resources to that until a change in circumstances require other options. The right transportation company will be only too happy to work with your business and adjust your transportation accordingly.