Rail freight transportation is the transportation of cargo by railroads and airplanes to different locations instead of human drivers. It is used for the transportation of consumer and business products, bulk items, refined petroleum, minerals and fuels, and other products that cannot be carried in trucks or other modes of transportation. It can be sent by rail freight from the point where the product is being produced or manufactured to the port of destination. The shipping companies are commonly hired to transport products by rail freight.
The mode of transport chosen to move goods depends on the nature of the goods as well as the distance the goods need to be moved. log cabin living prefer shipping by freight train because it is faster than sea shipping. Sea shipping takes several days to reach the desired location because of the long distance that needs to be covered. Some products such as electronics do not need to be shipped by freight trains because they can be shipped directly by planes to the consumers. However, certain types of business goods such as computers and electrical appliances do require freight shipping services. Businesses have to provide proof that they need the service before the shipments are released to the carriers.
There are several countries that have railways and shipping companies that specialize in rail freight transport. This mode of transport has become popular because of its economical cost as compared to air transport. Shops in China, India and the United States regularly ship their goods to Europe. This method is used for goods that do not need to be delivered all through the year such as China heavy cargoes.
Shipping by sea is more cost-effective than rail freight transport. It also costs less because the cost of building the railroad is more expensive than building a container to store the goods that are to be shipped. However, a container has limited capacity to hold heavy cargoes and is limited in terms of space. For instance, a container can house a few hundred kilograms to a rail freight train can carry thousands of kilograms. This means that the transportation cost for the two methods is quite different.
The cost of rail freight transport to European destinations is lower than for Asia. However, it is not cost-effective enough to make it an alternative to sea freight. There are instances when a cargo needs to be shipped rapidly to European destinations. For instance, China uses containers to ship its textiles to the European Union. These containers are relatively expensive and it will take months for the cargo to be unloaded.
The railway is less affected by weather and other natural factors. Sea freight can experience delays caused by bad weather, while rail freight transport cannot. For instance, bad weather in the ocean can affect the shipping schedule. On the other hand, rail freight transport does not experience such delays. It is also less affected by emergencies such as earthquakes and hurricanes.
Rail logistics and rail freight transport are also complementary. Rail logistics provides freight forwarding services while rail transportation delivers the products directly to the consumers. These complementary strategies allow the companies to save on costs and increase profits. Another important aspect of rail logistics and rail freight transport is environmental friendliness. Companies are now looking for ways to reduce their ecological impact. The transport of hazardous goods is considered to be one of the most environmentally friendly options at present.
For example, China recently began using containers to send large numbers of baby goods. These baby goods were sent via air cargo and the container route was chosen as the shipping method for these goods. The containers were made from recycled plastic material. Plastic waste and harmful chemicals such as lead were removed from the containers. This made the container very environment-friendly as well as highly cost effective. XCite, one of the largest rail freight companies in Europe, uses containers for sending bulk sugar and other raw materials between countries.