When to Use Airfreight

Unless you are shipping a minimal amount, international airfreight is not usually the most cost effective way to move your cargo around the world. So then when is the best time to use airfreight? There are many questions you will need to think about to answer this. First and foremost, how heavy is your cargo and what are its dimensions? If you are shipping something like tile for example, the only time you may want to ship via airfreight would be samples or a small box. Otherwise the shipping costs for the weight would be extremely expensive in comparison to ocean shipping. If you are shipping a large piece of machinery or something light but cumbersome, you may still have trouble getting it on a flight since space is also an issue. On the other hand, if you are shipping garments or footwear or small gift items, which are lighter and easier to palletize, you may be able to offset the costs enough by the amount of cargo you will be able to move so much faster. This is particularly useful for companies looking to minimize the amount of inventory they will keep, trying for a "Just in time" type of inventory. These lean companies will offset the costs of airfreight in other ways since they can have re-order stock available more quickly. This can be very valuable in this type of market since many times, one product may outshine the others in a particular season and getting the cargo to its destination is more important than losing the sale. It is in this type of case that will be the best time to use airfreight to ship international cargo.