most people do not consider the piracy that’s going on off the coast of Somalia as a threat to our national security, it very much is national car shipping. Our national security is threatened when we cannot trade with the rest of the world or they cannot trade with us. Our “economic security” is definitely at stake and your job is at stake too, but also our need for fuels so you can drive your car and take your kids to soccer practice is predicated on the ability to get fuel for that car.
Each time a group of pirates hijacks a ship and holds it for ransom it increases the cost of shipping products around the world. It also gives money to groups that are terrorist-like or operate as guerrillas against governments. The more money they have, the more weapons they can buy and the more damage they can do to the shipping industry in the future, but it goes beyond that.
These pirates have hijacked humanitarian aid and food shipments to starving Africans that need that food to survive. You see, those terrorist-like groups which use their ransom money to buy more weapons end up destabilizing governments and of causing huge humanitarian crisis. Their acts very much hurt people.
As this pirate crisis gets getting bigger and bigger military intervention will be necessary, and when that happens it takes the UN in first world nation militaries off their game that should be concerned with other important matters. Threats of Piracy in Commercial Shipping Lanes threatens National Security, and we should all be very alarmed and support military intervention to prevent it. Please consider this. As the economy of countries is coming back on the right track new international business ventures are taking place in almost all the developing countries. Now, it is a well-accepted fact in the business community that for growing fast it is must to operate globally. As a result we see fast pace of globalization. The wave of globalization has changed the perspective of professionals. They are more open and willing to relocate themselves and their family in any promising country. On the other side, business activities are also becoming global. As a result, more and more people need international shipping services. If the goods to be transported are delicate or costly, smart people do not mind to pay extra for container shipping.
The major concerns of the people, in need of international shipping, are the cost, convenience and safety. No doubt, it is a complicated affair and needs careful documentation. With professional approach, you can make it as much convenient and safe as you desire. By selecting the most cost effective source and method, you can bring down the total cost within justified limits.
The process of shipping mainly depends upon the destination point and the nature of listed goods. Different countries and regions have different shipping rules. For example, the process for shipping to Europe is different than that to Asia. Therefore, even if you have experience in International shipping, this may be different. The smooth completion of this process depends upon the right selection of shipping agency. Today, you have many options to choose the best according to the destination. Just apply a professional selection strategy as you do for vendor selection. The selection parameter would be specialization, operation mode at destined country, facilities to load and upload, assistance in documentation, market image, references and extended allied support. More the facilities you ask, more you pay.
Even after selecting the best shipping agency, you can not be sure of getting the job done at lowest price. The commercial comparison may justify your decision but you can reduce the shipping cost further by optimizing the needs. You should think about the two options- shipping or replacement. You might be having many articles whose replacement is better than to ship. In case of container shipping, the container size delivers considerable impact over the overall cost. Optimization of required packaging style may further reduce the quote value. In some case if you allow the international shipping companies more delivery period, you get reduced quotes. The railroads are one of the most cost effective ways for businesses to ship. However, without some knowledge of the rail industry attempting to ship by rail for the first time can be frustrating. This article provides basic information regarding the railroads, the rail shipment process and rail shipping costs.
Generally, railroads that handle freight in North america are identified as either Class I or Shortline. Class I railroads cover long distances and are considered the highways of the North american rail network. The 500 plus Shortline railroads that operate in North america cover small distances and can be thought of as the side streets of the network. Currently, seven Class I freight railroads that operate in the united states: BNSF Railway, CSX Transportation, Canadian National, Kansas City Southern, Norfolk Southern, Canadian Pacific, and Union Pacific. Anyone who ships by rail will typically use the services of both Class I and Shortline Railroads.
To decide if rail is your best option you need to consider what you are shipping and where you are shipping it. Railroad freight becomes economical versus trucking at heavy weights (starting above 40, 000 pounds) and long distances (over 500 miles).
Railroads charge different rates for separate commodities. Additionally, rate calculations may vary by carload or shipment weight. There are regulations regarding which commodities may be shipped together in the same railcar. Railroads use STCC (pronounced “stick”) codes to identify each group of commodities in a shipment. For example, Christmas Ornaments have an STCC of 3999610 and birdhouses have an STCC of 3999875. STCC stands for Standard Transportation Commodity Code.
A rail route includes all handling railroads from origination to destination and their interchanges. Interchanges are those points where railroads exchange railcars. If multiple railroads are involved in your route, each will charge you for their portion of the journey. Your total freight cost is the sum of each railroad’s charge.
Railcar use is an also a factor that contributes to the expense of rail shipping. A railroad may be able to provide an appropriate railcar and include the cost of the car in its freight charges. A drawback to using a car provided by a railroad, besides limited availability, is that the shipper has limited time to load and offload the railcar. To discourage shipper delays, the railroad charges the shipper for each additional day they fail to return the railcar. This very expensive charge is called demurrage. Demurrage fees are minimized by quickly loading and unloading the railcar and returning it to the railroad within the allotted timeframe. Some shippers avoid demurrage fees and availability issues by purchasing or leasing their own railcar instead of using one provided by the railroad. Private railcar owners may also get discounted rates from the railroad.