The terminology of shipping goods can be a bit complicated, and not knowing which service you need can lead to costly mistakes. Especially when you’re new to it or don’t know who to turn to for help.
One of the big things people are less aware of is the difference between freight and shipping. While they’re extremely similar, there is a difference.
We’re going to compare freight and shipping to help you make the right choice when you’re moving a product from point A to point B.
Shipping is a very general term. It’s simply moving a product or good from one location to another, and it can encompass business transactions, business-to-consumer transportation, and more.
Because it is so broad, it often overlaps with freight, but it is typically used for different purposes.
Freight is a much more focused term that refers to shipping goods and products in bulk. Freight isn’t a small shipment to your customer. It typically refers to something such as an inventory shipment to refill your stock, transporting a large quantity of B2B goods, etc.
Depending on what you’re doing, there can be some overlap with general shipping, but the scale is typically much larger and requires special attention to detail.
At first glance, the difference seems minor and maybe even pedantic, but it does have an impact on whether your business is able to operate.
Here are some things to think about.
The transportation method you use is going to change dramatically between shipping and freight.
For shipping, almost all goods are transported via standard courier services in standard vehicles. Some goods may be shipped by plane or boat, but smaller transport systems are usually used.
With freight, the size and weight of the load have much heftier demands. When you transport freight, you’ll almost always use a carrier truck, ship, or cargo plane, depending on where the freight is traveling.
Freight sizes can vary, though. This is why there are full truckloads, less than truckloads, full container loads, and less than container loads to accommodate all kinds of freight, rather than packing freight into one giant container regardless of how much space is actually needed.
Most people who pass a standard driving test can get licensed for most shipping jobs. The vehicles are usually very similar to normal consumer vehicles, and driving a van around doesn’t require anything complicated.
However, freight often requires large trucks and specialized training. This matters, too.
When you’re transporting freight, you have a large financial investment on the line. You don’t just want that freight to get to its destination quickly. You want it to get there safely.
When you have a specialized driver using specialized equipment in a dedicated freight system, that’s possible to achieve.
We’ve mentioned this in less detail, but it’s worth covering in-depth.
Shipping does refer to anything you’re transporting, but in the commercial world, it’s almost always going to refer to a good that is less than 150lbs in total. That’s not per product, such as 200 bicycles. Shipping services are used for smaller, more manageable loads.
Remember, these loads are being handled by mail couriers and other shipping companies that you’re likely familiar with, and there’s only one or two people on a truck getting the packages out.
Freight is used for anything over that. Even if it’s a single item, such as a car that needs to be transported to its owner when they move long-distance. It’s simply too complicated to ship it via a normal shipping system.
The destination of freight and shipped items is also different. When you ship something, you’re usually shipping it from your personal inventory directly to the consumer’s doorstep after they pay for it. It will likely stop along the way throughout the normal mail supply chain, but it’s headed to the consumer.
Freight is shipped to warehouses, where it’s broken down and turned into goods for individual sale or businesses during restock days, and sometimes to pickup points, such as when you ship a vehicle as freight. Freight isn’t typically dropped off at a residence or similar area outside of the supply chain.
Freight is, unsurprisingly, more expensive than shipping. It handles such a large volume of goods and specialized equipment that it requires a higher price than simply mailing an order to a customer.
With that said, costs vary dramatically between the two depending on the service you use, what you’re shipping, the timeframe you need for delivery, and more.
In general, it costs a lot more to ship an entire lumberyard's worth of wood to a distributor than to mail some veneers to a customer, though.
The comparison we gave you probably gave you a good idea of what it is you need to get your item or items from point A to point B, but there’s still a lot more to it than simply finding a transport company and sending it off.
Both types of services have complex nuances that you need to understand, or you need help choosing the right options to get the most bang for your buck.
That’s where Diversified Transportation Services comes in.
At DTS, we provide you with a one-stop shop for all your shipping and freight needs. When you need to get something from point A to point B, we find the right carrier, transportation options, and additional services to meet your needs in the most cost-efficient way.
This takes a lot off your shoulders so you can focus on keeping your business running smoothly, and we handle the logistics that would otherwise bog you down.
If you need to move freight, you don’t need to learn how the supply chain works to do it. Just contact us and ask how we can help.
Whether you're a company looking to improve one facet of your supply chain, your entire supply chain, or simply looking for a transportation and logistics consultation, we can help.
19829 Hamilton Avenue
Torrance, CA 90502