What does the freight quotes line depend on
Today, the delivery of goods by sea is more relevant than ever. When choosing a transport company for a shipper, the issue of pricing is very important. What affects the cost of transportation of goods, how is the freight quote online formed, and what factors affect it?
The main factors affecting the formation of transportation of goods by sea
It is important to understand that the pricing in this area of logistics is very different from other niches. Transportation by sea and land is influenced by different factors. The first and most important in the case of transportation by water is the freight, route, environmental tax, etc.
Freight
Online shipping quote for a certain amount of cargo from one place to another. If in road transportation this amount is fixed, for example, the price of transportation of one ton per 1000 kilometers is precisely indicated, then in sea transportation the cost may vary. Freight depends on the following criteria:
- Distance between ports of departure and destination;
- The amount of cargo – for example containers and how much space they take on board;
- From the type of cargo – types of cargo are divided into 10 categories, each of which has its own requirements and rules for transportation. The cargo can be dangerous, fragile, etc.;
- Additional costs – the freight includes the cost of loading, unloading, port dues;
- Seasons – during the year there are periods when ports are especially busy, as standard at this time they raise the port dues, and this makes the transportation of each container more expensive.
But not only freight is the cost of sea transportation.
Additional payments on the route
These are fees that are sometimes also paid by road carriers, for example, following toll highways. But if cars have the opportunity to avoid such expenses by choosing a longer, but free route, then sea transport does not have such an opportunity. If there is a crossing along the Panama or Suez Canal along the route, you will have to pay for it. It is worth noting that the total amount is not very large. It is evenly distributed according to the number of containers for each shipper. If a company transports 10 containers, it will have to pay more for going through a paid channel than those who send 1 container.
Environmental fees and additional services
For road transport, the environmental tax is included in the transport tax, and for sea transport it is calculated separately.
There are also additional services. For example, in winter, it is impossible to enter some ports if the icebreaker does not clear the way before that, so you will have to pay extra for this.
What else determines the cost of sea transportation
Seasonality – usually the peak of shipping by water falls in the second half of autumn, so free online shipping quotes rise and fall after the New Year. You need to understand that maritime logistics is a long process and is not always justified. If the cargo is small and must be delivered quickly, then sometimes even air transportation becomes more profitable.