Air Freight Shipping Costs: What You Need to Know

Air freight shipping is one of the most utilized means of getting products from one nation to another. It is also fast, reliable and efficient. It is therefore easier to note down that the cost of air freight is flexible and or even complex to determine because of flexibility of what it entails most of the time. If you are thinking of shipping your cargo by air, then this article will covering all aspects of air freight shipping cost, the main determinants to price and how you can ship your cargo at a more cheaper price.

Understanding the Basics of Air Freight Costs

Air shipping is relatively costly as compared with the other two shipping methods, sea or land shipping. This is mainly due to the efficiency that air freight comes with when transporting consignments. In most cases, there are fundamental cost factors that can be considered when determining the air freight costs. The parameters consist of the mass and dimension of the load, the length of a route which connects the departure and the destination locations, and the specific commodities conveyed. In case of international deliveries, other extra charges may emerge from customs duties and taxes.

Air freight has one basic metric known as chargeable weight. This can be somewhat misleading because the rate obviously includes the actual weight of the shipment, but also the dimensional weight, which considers the volume. The actual or dimensional weight whichever higher is used in computing the charge for shipping.

Factors Influencing Air Freight Costs

There are various aspects which may affect the total price of air shipping service internationally. The first is simply the mass and dimensions of the load to be carried. Domestic shipments are more expensive for first-tier cities and longer distances, hence, heavier and bulky shipments will definitely attract higher prices. Another area pertinent information is the shipping distance. Long distances imply increased fuel costs and increased service time thus receive more in shipping expenses.

Another fact that depends on the price of shipping is the type of goods being shipped. For instance, goods such as perishable goods and goods considered hazardous for some reason will demand special handling and quick delivery costs. It can also depend on seasonal changes, as well as the demand on the given market. At certain periods in the year, such as the Christmas time, air freight costs may skyrocket since many people will be importing.

Additional Charges and Surcharges

In addition to the base rate, there are other shipments related costs and charges that shippers can come across. Tolls can also be identified as being part of the fuel costs that are subject to daily variation depending on the price of fuel. Security charges relate to expenses that are incurred for purposes of preventing the theft and terrorism occurrences on the shipment. There may also be charges for loading or offloading the cargo and also the terminals charges of the specific airport in use.

Taxes and tariffs are other expenses which are attracted in importation or shipment of products from one country to another. They may range widely depending on the country being shipped to and can form a good proportion of the total cost of transportation. The additional expenses have, therefore, to be considered before finally deciding on the air freight of your consignment so that expenses do not come as a shock.

Finding convenient measures to Minimize the Costs of Air Freight Shipping
However; there are several ways you can employ to minimize on the costs associated with air freight shipment. Consolidation of shipment is also a very effective strategy. You get to be able to consolidate small shipments and hence make one big shipment or shipment of many consignments and this leads to economize-of-scale which means that the cost of shipping per unit of consignment reduces quite considerably.

This comes with flexibility in the shipping timings, whereby there is no fixed time of having to make the shipments. Depending on the nature of your cargo and your ability to wait for the consignment delivery, then you can take the deferred services or a consolidated services since they are cheaper though slow. Savings can also be achieved by bargaining with freight forwarders or you can select less peak periods and carrier terminals.

Selection Criteria for the Air Freight Services

One of the important decisions that controls transportation expenses is determination of the appropriate air freight carrier. In this case, enroll with a large number of persons and go for providers who offer diverse services. It is also a good idea to verify whether or not they have had any incidences of conduction one day seminars. The truth that a provider can be offered cheaper does not necessarily mean it will be all worth it because their services might be slow or even unsatisfactory sometimes.

The costs of particular services are subject to surcharge and other attached fees, so it is advisable to calculate the real sum of money a provider charges for the whole set of offered services. Ask for a precise quote and please explain if there are any other charges that may be involved here. Another way is to focus on the opinions of other clients – it is also possible to find the overview of the provider and his offerings on the Internet, which will also shed light on such aspects as the frequency and quality of services.

Conclusion

Air freight shipping though expensive compared to other modes of transport has one of the fastest and most reliable methods. It is essential to raise awareness about the components of air freight expenses depending on factors like the weight and the distance the goods are transported and the type of goods that is to be shipped accompanied by surcharges. Thus it is concluded that with proper use of cost reduction measures and selecting proper provider, the air freight management of almost all business entities can be made optimal in terms of cost and effectiveness. All these factors should be taken into account and you should make the necessary arrangements to get the best services if you need the help of air freight shipping company.