Expedited freight services are utilized by shippers to deliver goods to the customer on a specific date and sometimes at a specific time of day. Overall standard, non-expedited, transportation services have delivery accuracy rates that can range from a high of 98% to less than 50% on-time. This fluctuates based on overall industry capacity and individual carrier management.
The most common mode for expedited freight to move is by air. Freight is picked up and delivered by truck but ends up travelling most of the distance by plane. If possible, expedited freight can be driven in various types of equipment. Of course, the shipment must cross a drivable distance within your timeframe, so sending freight this way only makes sense for short distances (usually less than 500 miles).
The challenge with sending expedited freight by air charter or road is that it is more expensive than standard freight. Premiums can range anywhere from a 20% to 3 or 4 times the amount normally paid for a standard transit shipment. Shippers use this method only when it is necessary to maintain customer commitments.
There are six major industries that frequently utilize expedited freight companies for a variety of reasons.
- Medical Industry – Used when valuable devices cannot sit in the back of a freight vehicle for long periods of time.
- Pharmaceutical Industry – Advantageous for patients who rely on their medications for survival allowing them to receive them immediately.
- Manufacturing Industry – Meeting deadlines is often a challenge. If parts do not come in on time, projects can get delayed or whole operations can be shut down. Depending on the size of the operation those costs usually outweigh the cost of the expedited freight.
- E-commerce Industry – Retail stores are growing tremendously, and many of them offer their products online. Several big retailers also offer fast shipping options, including two days, overnight, or even same day delivery.
- Seasonal – This industry sells most of its products once a year in holiday-themed pop-up stores. With the help of an expedited shipping provider, business should not be running out of stock when customers are buying the most, which helps cut down on inventory costs.
- Perishable high value food – For expensive high value food products like Ahi Tuna, getting product across the world in hours instead of days ensures the food can be consumed within hours of receipt.
Expedited freight is used to make sure cargo gets to its location as soon as possible. It is important to consider the increased cost of expedited freight with the cost of not having the product at your location when it is needed. If you need this type of service reach out to us. Riverside Logistics can help match your needs with the best value expedited service.
