Is ocean freight a good idea as transport mode?
Ocean freight is believed to be the most popular method when it comes to transporting goods from one country to another. With this, one can move large volumes of items around the world which is very much beneficial for global trade. Most heavy products are sent in bulk through ocean liners.
If one wants to expand their business and open it to the international marketplace then when it comes to transportation strategy – one must go for ocean freight.
Types of Sea Transport
There are quite a few advantages when it comes to ocean transport. But it is also important for one to understand that there are various shipping options when it comes to ocean shipping. They are:
Full container load/FCL
This is where the shipper pays for several containers to transport their goods internationally. FCL transports never involves any sort of consolidation or deconsolidation. It can make the shipment cheaper, and faster too. This also reduces the risk of product damage. This variation of ocean freight is quite secure and it can lower the risk of theft or any sort of product damage.
Less than container load/LCL
This shipping is mostly for cargo loads that are very small for 20 foot or bigger containers. Shipping companies can easily accumulate multiple loads from different shippers and then go for a consolidated shipment. It is very beneficial for smaller companies as they can save a lot in this freight rate.
Roll on roll off/RORO
It is where the wheeled vehicles are rolled on and off like cars, passenger vehicles, semi-trucks and more. They are taken by the cargo ships instead of loading or unloading them in containers.

Dry bulk
Dry bulk goods like grains or coal cannot be shipped in the containers. So, these things are basically loaded in the cargo area of the ship during all maritime transports.
Break bulk
Here, the ship transport is only used to carry dry bulk products from one place to another. They can also store heavy-duty items that do not fit easily into intermodal containers. Things like fabricated
items, steel girders are needed to be kept in the ship’s hold when it comes to long distance journey. This way, one can protect them from getting damaged.
The Advantages of Ocean transport
They are cost-effective as they run under a low-cost mode in the shipping industry. It is also a money-saving approach to international logistics that can be more economical as compared to air freight.
A good ocean shipping company can offer large ocean containers that can contain till 32 cubic meters of goods. So, if one has to transport a bulk of products or large products – then ocean freight is the best mode to choose. Also, one can transport literally anything through ocean liners.
Modern shippers are more careful about environmental impact. This mode of transport is very eco-friendly as it reduces the carbon footprints.
So, one can easily rely on ocean transports – especially if they need to send a large amount of goods to a different country as it saves money.