Why does everyone choose the sea? Sea transportation is the leader of world logistics today

With land, airspace, and water at our disposal, communication between different corners of the planet is now more accessible and high-tech than ever.

The following types of transportation are actively used: air, sea, rail and road. When determining the desired logistics route, companies and clients take into account many factors: cost, distance, type of cargo and delivery times. Thanks to their combination, clients have formed an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of each of the possible options. Therefore, the most popular type of international transportation is sea transport. More than 60% of all cargo in the world is transported by sea, which is an undisputed leader.

Let's consider the key features that are important to customers and build an understanding of why maritime transport is the best choice for the vast majority.

Wide connectivity. Only 44 countries out of 195 have no access to the World Ocean. However, international law guarantees such countries the opportunity to create their own fleet and arrange favorable conditions for transportation thanks to neighboring countries. Therefore, there are a minimum number of restrictions for covering the entire world by sea transport. Cargo turnover and throughput. It is the ship that can ensure the transportation of the largest amount of goods or raw materials per unit of time.

Modern container ships can transport from 250 to 20,000 standard containers. The world's largest ports accept up to 50 tons of cargo every day. This is why businesses choose the sea route.
Low cost. Compared to other modes of transportation, water transport is more profitable to deliver cargo of any volume on intercontinental flights. At the same time, in other modes of transport, cost formation is sensitive to an increase in weight and distance, which leads to its growth. This is due to a greater number of technical features.

Minimum cargo restrictions.

The variety of water transport allows us to safely and reliably transport everything our customers need. The following cargoes can be transported by sea:

-Industrial goods: Machinery, equipment, rolled metals, chemicals, etc.

-Agricultural products: Grains, fruits, vegetables, meat, fish.

-Building materials: Cement, sand, gravel, building blocks.

-Consumer goods: Clothing, shoes, household appliances, furniture.

-Dangerous goods

-Substances and materials that pose a threat to human health, animals or the environment (chemicals, explosives).

Sea transportation choose to bring goods to support business activities and personal needs. However, before determining whether this type of delivery is right for you, you need to know the possible disadvantages that exist in this industry:

Delivery duration. Sea transport is much slower than other modes of transport. This is due to the much greater mass of the vessel and cargo, and the route distance is much longer than air travel. In addition, the duration of transportation is affected by loading and unloading operations and passing all customs controls.

Weather conditions. Storms, wind changes, typhoons and other weather conditions pose risks to maritime transport. This can lead to a delay in the voyage, loss of part of the cargo or the ship may sink. To minimize risks, shipping companies pay close attention to weather forecasts, route planning, technical condition of the ship and all fastenings. Companies and clients must insure ships and cargo for economic reasons.

Possibility of additional costs.

The logistics sector is a complex multi-component process. To fulfill an order, it is necessary to involve a large number of specialists, employees and regulatory authorities in order to transport cargo safely and comfortably. Additional services can include everything from cargo handling to insurance.

Geopolitical situation. Current events show how the political situation between and within countries can affect all areas of people's lives, especially maritime transport. For the countries of the Black Sea basin and shipping companies, the development of the Russian-Ukrainian war has become a challenge. Conducting naval operations, chaotic mining of the water area poses a danger to everyone who is near the Ukrainian and Russian coasts and continues to operate in this region. Also, the situation within countries can directly affect the efficiency of port infrastructure, for example, like the dockers' strike in the USA.  

Sphere sea ​​transportation is developing every day to provide all participants with a convenient and reliable service, minimize all risks, and continue to deliver cargo to any location in the world.  

Many people mistakenly believe that sea transportation is only about large volumes of cargo of hundreds of tons and thousands of containers. However, logistics companies strive to open the possibility of sea transportation to everyone who needs it at an affordable price and a full package of services. Therefore, customers have the opportunity to use the groupage cargo service, which helps to transport smaller volumes of cargo and pay only for the space occupied by the cargo, and not the entire container itself. This service groupage cargo It allows for the single container to contain cargo for different customers and to be shipped to the same destination. This allows for the economical delivery of cargo in small batches, either as a one-off or for personal use, from anywhere in the world. 

Maritime transportation is not just a way to transport goods, but also an expansion of borders for any person and business. With advantages such as lower cost, throughput and minimal restrictions, long-distance shipping by sea is the most profitable.