The mode of transport you use to import will depend largely on your product – its size, weight, fragility and how quickly you want to get it.

The main methods to move goods are by air, sea, road or, for small items, by courier.

Planes, trains and automobiles

Air

Moving goods by air has the advantage of being quick, so is perfect for time sensitive logistics. Consignments can be sent via direct or in-direct flights, and consignments of various sizes can be transported using passenger, cargo and chartered flights.

Sea

The most used mode of transport is sea freight. Large container vessels circumnavigate the globe transporting everything from wine to food, to trainers and televisions. More freight is moved in this way than any other mode and this is by far the greenest mode of transport.

Consignments are moved in shipping containers of various sizes as well as loose cargo. Sea freight options are a lengthier transit but offer value for money for those not so urgent consignments.

Road

Road freight is the most popular route for importsinto the UK and from the EU. Using the extensive roll on roll off ferry services, goods can arrive from Ireland, mainland Europe and beyond relatively quickly and at a lower cost than air freight.

Courier

Courier services offer transport options for documents and small cargo. This could be local, national or indeed Internationally. Quick collection together with quick transit and delivery times makes this an attractive optionif you want to receive your goods quickly.

There’s some more useful information on all these services including container sizes for shipments and pallet sizes here.

Who you gonna call?

As your goods will be travelling from far away and with lots of links in the import chain, there are various costs and logistics which can make importing tricky to navigate.

As a trusted freight forwarder, we can advise on the best way to transport your goods, make sure you have all the right paperwork in place to avoid any hiccups along the way.

Give us a call on 01952 270699 or email sales@global-freight.co.uk.