While freight and shipping are both used to transport goods, key differences distinguish them from each other. They both have pros and cons, so it’s essential to understand their variations and choose the best one for your individual needs and requirements. Understanding these nuances clarifies the landscape of goods movement and optimises your transportation strategy in a complex and ever-changing logistics environment.
What is Freight?
Freight (also known as cargo) is the process of transporting goods in bulk over long distances. Traditionally, the goods would have been transported via ships in storage containers for commercial purposes. However, freight is increasingly being transported via other modes of transport, including trains, trucks, and aircraft. Freight is usually classified into two categories: air freight and freight shipments.
Before being transported, shipments are further divided into several categories depending on the size of goods, items transported, and transit time. The most common categories are express, parcel, household goods, and freight shipments. Where goods are too large to be sent via air, ships are used to maintain a reasonable rate.
Freight is considered a cost‐effective and eco‐friendly method of transportation. The exporter can send several shipments together in a bundle, then later divide the shipment at a warehousing facility to deliver to different recipients. The freight shipping cost varies depending on several factors, such as size, weight, and the chosen transport method.
What is Shipping?
Shipping originally referred to transporting goods by sea. However, over time, the term has generalised and now is a broad term used to describe goods transported by sea, land, or air. Generally, it is done in bulk, but usually transports far smaller volumes of goods, often for commercial small to medium businesses or even personal goods to a single customer (i.e. non-commercial purposes). Again, this cost is determined by factors like weight, size, transport method, and delivery date. It is considered the more convenient option when transporting small quantities of goods and even different-sized shipments, as items can be quickly transported from one location to another without going through warehousing facilities on the way.
What are the Key Differences Between Freight and Shipping?
Generally speaking, both terms are interconnected: freight and shipping refer to two different transport methods from one place to another. Both can involve transporting goods via land, air, and sea, although they have some fundamental differences and contrasting advantages and disadvantages.
The main differences between the two are as follows:
| Topic | Freight | Shipping |
| Transportation Method | Land- shipping containers via trucks/lorries and railway freight trains Air, via planes Sea- shipping containers via ships | Land- smaller goods may travel in vans and cars Air, via planes Sea- smaller shipping containers on ships |
| Scale and Volume | Best for a larger volume of goods, can be a mixed shipment of goods that will later be broken down into separate parcels at a warehousing facility | A more flexible term that can either refer to a smaller volume of goods or transporting individual goods delivered directly to the recipient. |
| Purpose | Commercial for larger quantities in bulk | Commercial or non-commercial, commonly used by private individuals or small to medium businesses |
| Price- both influenced by weight, volume and distance | More cost-effective when transporting in bulk | It is less cost-effective to transport items in bulk, and where individual items travel by air, it can cost more |
| Speed | Slower, but reliable | Faster, but is easily influenced by cost |
| Destination | Ideal for transporting large goods over long distances to a warehouse facility | Usually used for transporting goods at shorter distances, would be less cost-effective over longer distances. Goods go directly to the recipient. |
| Equipment | Facilities should have cranes and heavy-duty equipment for loading and unloading shipments | Hiring specialist equipment may be an additional cost. |
Refer to the table above to decide whether freight or shipping would be more appropriate.
Consider the type of goods being transported. Are they bulky, oversized items that require freight, or smaller items that can be transported by shipping?
When would you like the shipment to be received? For speed, shipping is best.
Summary
While there are some apparent similarities between the two transportation methods, there are some clear differences:
Freight allows large quantities of goods to be transported in bulk, which is cost‐effective and eco‐friendly. Therefore, freight is generally best suited for businesses transporting large volumes of goods or multiple items in one shipment.
Shipping generally involves smaller quantities of goods, which makes it more expensive. However, it is typically quicker as items don’t need to go through warehousing facilities. As a result, this also reduces the risk of items getting lost or damaged during transport. Therefore, it provides a more suitable transportation method for small to medium businesses and private individuals.
If you are looking for containers for freight or shipping, get in touch with S Jones. Not only can we provide the containers you need but our team can advise on recommended hauliers & CSC plates for shipping. Whether it be for hire, sale or conversion we have got one to suit every budget and situation!
