由 caicai8478 - Comparison of core differences in transportation methods
Comparison dimensions Sea freight Air freight
Transportation time 20-45 days (international) 2-7 days (international)
Transportation cost About 1/5-1/10 of air freight High, suitable for high-value goods
Cargo capacity Ultra-large capacity (10,000 tons) Limited (usually <100 tons/flight)
Carbon emissions Low (about 10-40g/ton-kilometer) Very high (about 500g/ton-kilometer)
Applicable goods Bulk/heavy/non-urgent Urgent/high-value/perishable goods - Product characteristics decision matrix
- Situations where air transportation must be selected
Time-sensitive: medical emergency supplies, fashion new products, seasonal goods (such as holiday gifts)
Perishable goods: fresh seafood (such as king crab), high-end flowers (such as Dutch tulips)
Ultra-light high-value goods: chips (worth more than $50,000 per kilogram), precision instruments
- Preferred scenarios for sea transport
Heavy machinery: such as injection molding machines (single unit often exceeds 10 tons)
Bulk commodities: ore, grain (single ship can carry 200,000 tons of soybeans)
Storable building materials: tiles (40-foot cabinet can hold 28 tons)
Long life cycle products: furniture (sea transport can reduce costs by 30%)
III. Cost Detailed Calculation Model
Total Cost Formula:
Transportation Fee + Storage Fee + Capital Occupation Cost + Risk Cost
Typical Case Calculation:
A certain auto parts (1 ton/5m³, worth $50,000)
Project Sea Transport Air Transport
Freight $800 $4,500
Time in Transit 35 days 3 days
Capital Cost (8% annualized) $384 $33
Storage Fee (￥2/day/m³) ￥350 ￥30
Total Cost ≈$1,200 ≈$4,600
IV. Mixed transport strategy
Air-sea transport:
Southeast Asia → Shanghai (sea transport) → Europe and America (air transport)
(Save 30% of costs, shorten the time to 10 days)
Split transport:
The first 30% of air transport meets listing needs
The remaining 70% of sea transport replenishment
Regional warehousing:
Prepare goods by sea to overseas warehouses in advance to achieve “air transport speed, sea transport price”
V. Risk management points
Special attention to sea transport:
Purchase full insurance (about 1.1% of the value of the goods)
Reserve a 15-day buffer period (to deal with port congestion)
Moisture-proof treatment (container humidity can reach 90%)
Key control of air transport:
Confirm the belly of the flight in advance Cabin capacity
Pay attention to temperature-sensitive products (cabin temperature 10-18℃)
Lithium batteries require UN38.3 certification
VI. Industry trends
Innovation in shipping:
Blockchain bill of lading (shorten document processing time from 5 days to 4 hours)
Low-carbon ships (LNG-powered ships reduce emissions by 20%)
Breakthrough in air transport:
Cargo drones (suitable for urgent items within 500km, cost reduction by 40%)
Convert passenger planes to cargo planes (increase capacity by 20%)
It is recommended that companies establish a transportation decision matrix and classify SKUs into ABC: Class A (the top 20% in value) is preferred for air transport, Class C (the bottom 50%) is forced to be shipped by sea, and Class B is adjusted dynamically according to the season. At the same time, use the TMS system for real-time price comparison. During the peak season of some routes, the air transport price may be only 50% higher than the sea transport price, and the cost performance is reversed at this time.
Sea freight vs. air freight: How to choose the best solution based on product characteristics and budget?
- Comparison of core differences in transportation methods
Comparison dimensions Sea freight Air freight
Transportation time 20-45 days (international) 2-7 days (international)
Transportation cost About 1/5-1/10 of air freight High, suitable for high-value goods
Cargo capacity Ultra-large capacity (10,000 tons) Limited (usually <100 tons/flight)
Carbon emissions Low (about 10-40g/ton-kilometer) Very high (about 500g/ton-kilometer)
Applicable goods Bulk/heavy/non-urgent Urgent/high-value/perishable goods - Product characteristics decision matrix
- Situations where air transportation must be selected
Time-sensitive: medical emergency supplies, fashion new products, seasonal goods (such as holiday gifts)
Perishable goods: fresh seafood (such as king crab), high-end flowers (such as Dutch tulips)
Ultra-light high-value goods: chips (worth more than $50,000 per kilogram), precision instruments
- Preferred scenarios for sea transport
Heavy machinery: such as injection molding machines (single unit often exceeds 10 tons)
Bulk commodities: ore, grain (single ship can carry 200,000 tons of soybeans)
Storable building materials: tiles (40-foot cabinet can hold 28 tons)
Long life cycle products: furniture (sea transport can reduce costs by 30%)
III. Cost Detailed Calculation Model
Total Cost Formula:
Transportation Fee + Storage Fee + Capital Occupation Cost + Risk Cost
Typical Case Calculation:
A certain auto parts (1 ton/5m³, worth $50,000)
Project Sea Transport Air Transport
Freight $800 $4,500
Time in Transit 35 days 3 days
Capital Cost (8% annualized) $384 $33
Storage Fee (￥2/day/m³) ￥350 ￥30
Total Cost ≈$1,200 ≈$4,600
IV. Mixed transport strategy
Air-sea transport:
Southeast Asia → Shanghai (sea transport) → Europe and America (air transport)
(Save 30% of costs, shorten the time to 10 days)
Split transport:
The first 30% of air transport meets listing needs
The remaining 70% of sea transport replenishment
Regional warehousing:
Prepare goods by sea to overseas warehouses in advance to achieve “air transport speed, sea transport price”
V. Risk management points
Special attention to sea transport:
Purchase full insurance (about 1.1% of the value of the goods)
Reserve a 15-day buffer period (to deal with port congestion)
Moisture-proof treatment (container humidity can reach 90%)
Key control of air transport:
Confirm the belly of the flight in advance Cabin capacity
Pay attention to temperature-sensitive products (cabin temperature 10-18℃)
Lithium batteries require UN38.3 certification
VI. Industry trends
Innovation in shipping:
Blockchain bill of lading (shorten document processing time from 5 days to 4 hours)
Low-carbon ships (LNG-powered ships reduce emissions by 20%)
Breakthrough in air transport:
Cargo drones (suitable for urgent items within 500km, cost reduction by 40%)
Convert passenger planes to cargo planes (increase capacity by 20%)
It is recommended that companies establish a transportation decision matrix and classify SKUs into ABC: Class A (the top 20% in value) is preferred for air transport, Class C (the bottom 50%) is forced to be shipped by sea, and Class B is adjusted dynamically according to the season. At the same time, use the TMS system for real-time price comparison. During the peak season of some routes, the air transport price may be only 50% higher than the sea transport price, and the cost performance is reversed at this time.