Air freight from the USA: Time, cost & Process

1135
air freight logistics usa

Air Freight Logistics is considered promising in the near future as customer demand increases for faster delivery, cross-border e-commerce, low insurance premiums, fewer warehousing requirements, and higher security. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) says air freight demand remains a bright spot even as international travel gradually recovers from the COVID-19 crisis.

We can’t help but mention air freight from the USA when it comes to air freight. In this article, let’s find out more with Janbox.

I. Overview of airfreight USA service

Airfreight meaning is a method of transporting passengers or transporting goods by air. This is one of the most important modes of transport in international trade and has grown especially strongly in recent years. The continued increase in population levels worldwide – coupled with increased economic activity – in the context of globalization and modern connected economies has resulted in a rapid expansion of air freight worldwide.

Regarding the airfreight USA, as of 2020, there are nearly 850 cargo planes in the U.S. commercial fleet, and in the same year, there were a total of more than 43.8 billion cargo sales. The ton-mile trade was created both in domestic and international markets in the United States. The domestic market which is air freight shipping from the US is mainly dominated by FedEx Corporation and closely followed by United Parcel Services (UPS). FedEx, which operates a fleet size of 684 aircraft, generated more than $8.2 billion in freight revenue from June 2020 to May 2021.

II. Pros and cons when sending goods from the US to the international by air

1. Advantages

High speed

Transporting and exporting goods by air is the fastest mode of transportation in terms of speed and time compared to the other two forms of export, which are road and sea.

This is the optimal shipping method when your customers need the goods to be delivered at an urgent time. Air freight is suitable for exporting goods to countries over long distances in the shortest time and fastest.

Perishable goods are allowed to be transported

Air freight is the ideal method for transporting perishable goods that do not have a long shelf life. Usually, exporters will use air freight to transport and export perishable goods.

For example, fruit, food, and flowers because the plane’s transit time is the fastest of the three modes when it comes to long-distance transportation.

Worldwide shipping

Air transport is accessible in all parts of the world that are not easily accessible to other modes of transport. Assuming that the area you export to has no sea and seaport or is in a high mountain area, shipping and exporting goods by air is the only option.

Exporting by air opens many doors to many parts of the world which means wider reach and you can serve more customers. There is an extensive network of airports in the world that covers almost the whole world and your goods can be exported all over the world.

Reduce the risk of damage

Shipping via air means faster delivery and less handling of items in transit. Air freight is by far very safe and has a low risk of damage.

High safety and security

Air freight transport has a high level of security because of the airport’s strict safety limits and protection for exported goods. Airport security also strictly controls as well as minimizes theft and loss of goods. Especially when transporting by air, you do not have the risk of loss of goods such as storms, pirates like when transporting goods by sea.

Less need to pack heavy goods

In general, exporting goods by air requires less packing of heavy and bulky goods, using containers as when shipping by sea. This ensures you save both time and money by not having to spend extra money on packaging services.

Less reliance on storage facilities

Small businesses benefit from air freight as goods are delivered faster, resulting in a reduced reliance on warehousing facilities. Since goods can be shipped quickly, this can be a big advantage for inventory control.

Air freight from USA.

Track your goods in transit

With the help of air services, you can easily track the shipping of your products and stick to the promised delivery time. Airplanes fly on average every hour and you can track your products to make sure they are delivered on time.

Low premium

Due to shorter transit times, insurance premiums for air freight are on average lower than for other modes of transport. The shorter your shipping time, the less risk you take.

>>Read more: Shipping from Japan to USA.

2. Defect

Although there are many outstanding advantages, exporting goods by air also has its specific disadvantages.

Costly

Air freight is considered the most expensive mode of transportation. Aircraft maintenance and airport construction costs are also higher than many other modes of transport. That’s why air freight is so expensive. Air freight rates are too high to be feasible for low-value products.

Affected by weather

Air transport is severely affected by adverse weather conditions, making it uncertain and unpredictable. Often flights are canceled due to fog, heavy rain, and snow.

Small carrying capacity

The aircraft’s load capacity is limited and often too small to meet the requirements of most international shippers. Airplanes are not suitable for carrying bulky and heavy cargo.

A limited number of products

There are many products and materials that are not suitable for air transportation. Examples: Explosives, gases, batteries, solids, and liquids

III. Shipping process

Manufacturers first need to decide on a shipping schedule so that they can deliver goods to overseas customers on time, looking for a forwarder service to handle the goods for themselves. The exporter needs to provide the forwarder with information about the goods such as the destination, the date of the goods ready to book the earliest flight, the name of the goods, and the weight of the goods.

air freight shipping from US

You need to note that for air goods, there must be the size and number of cartons and packages for the forwarder to calculate the exact cost for your shipment. In addition, the exporter needs to provide an invoice, packing list, and SI to fwd as HAWB. The goods will then be moved to the warehouse of the fwd cargo company or the packing company, usually the warehouse at the airport.

IV. Shipping time

The transit time depends on many factors such as destination, check-in time, paperwork, flight, and weather conditions. However, in general, shipping by air will take less time than other methods.

V. Shipping costs by air freight from the USA

Regarding the air freight cost, fees for air transport are specified in the unified tariff. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has regulations on the rules and methods of calculating and issuing charges in the TACT (The Air Cargo Tariff) air freight schedule.

Fees vary depending on the volume of goods, divided into the following intervals:

Under 45kg: -45

From 45 to under 100kg: +45

From 100 to under 250kg: +100

From 250 to under 500kg: +250

From 500 to under 1000kg: +500

Chargeable weight

Fees will be charged whichever is greater of:

+ Actual weight of the goods (Actual Weight)

+ Volumetric weight, also known as Dimensional Weight, is the type converted from the volume of a shipment according to a formula prescribed by the International Air Transport Association – IATA.

Conclusion

Although born later than other types of transportation, air transport services play an extremely important role in the circulation of goods. It has overcome many disadvantages of road and water transport. Air transport contributes to the development of the world economy in general and international business in particular.

Hopefully, through this article, you will grasp some information about air freight from the USA. If you have any questions, please comment below, our Janbox team will enthusiastically support you. Don’t forget to follow Janbox to update useful articles.