Ocean freight is often referred to as the best possible way to transport goods to any corner of the world. Because of the fact that the ocean covers the most landmass on our planet, it is a really easy transportation method with really high accessibility. When looking at history, particularly in the industrial age, ocean freight stood out as the only transportation means used by large industrialized countries like France and England.

As technology advanced, planes started to be used to move goods since this is a faster transport method. However, although planes are really popular, according to lead experts like Umberto de Pretto, ocean freight transport is still in high demand because of the advantages offered.

Ocean Freight Advantages

The main reasons why ocean freight is nowadays still popular are:

• Cost Efficiency

Ocean freight is much cheaper than air freight. Companies that offer these services give access to many cost-effective shipping means for various products. This is really important for many firms as they have to save money as they ship goods. Operation costs have to be as reduced as possible so ocean freight gives firms the possibility to save a lot. Products can then be sold to end users at highly affordable prices. As this happens, you can get an edge over your competition.

• Highly Suitable For Heavy Goods

The companies that are importing really heavy goods like industrial parts, automobiles and machineries cannot really use air freight because airplanes will not be able to transport a lot of weight at the same time. Even if this is possible, transportation cost becomes very high and way outside business budget. Most business organizations now opt for ocean freight when they have to ship the heavy goods because ships can carry literally any weight, all while the trip is highly affordable.

• Environmentally Friendly

An airplane ends up consuming much fuel during transport, leaving a really large carbon footprint. This can be quite harmful for the environment. Due to carbon emissions we are now faced with increased temperatures all around the world. A ship would not leave large carbon footprints since not much fuel is consumed. The ships are environmentally friendly and give companies access to the possibility of transporting many different goods. This will not cause much harm as businesses also manage to improve brand image.

Ocean Freight Disadvantages

The truth is that there is one big disadvantage that needs to be taken into account when considering ocean freight transportation: time. It will take a lot of it to take freight from one location to the next. Business organizations often need to offer fast delivery so that their clients remain loyal. Airplanes are thus sometimes preferred as they are much faster.

We should also add that in some parts of the world ocean freight transportation is not safe since pirates are still active. If a cargo ship is attacked, all products end up being stolen. Such a huge loss can cause serious problems for a business that relies on international delivery. The good news though is that this is becoming less and less common.