Network Planning 12 Sep 2026
1 min read
There is no single best transport mode. The right choice depends on how urgent the cargo is, what it is worth and how far it has to go.
Quick comparison
- Air is the fastest and most expensive per kilogram. Best for high value, perishable or urgent goods.
- Sea is the cheapest for heavy and bulky cargo, but slower and less predictable.
- Road is the most flexible mode for regional routes and door to door delivery.
- Rail offers a lower carbon, reliable middle ground on established corridors.
Think in combinations
Most shipments are multimodal: sea to a hub, rail inland, truck to the door. Splitting a shipment, for example by air freighting a first batch and shipping the rest by sea, can protect a launch date without paying air rates for everything.
Questions to ask before you book
- What does a day of delay cost us?
- How sensitive is the cargo to temperature, shocks and handling?
- What are our carbon targets?
- Do we need door to door service or is port to port enough?
