Shipping vehicles
The two World wars saw an enormous rise in mercantile marine traffic and in the number of ships required to carry it. Until the coming of steam there had been very little specialization in ship design, but by 1900 oil tankers, refrigerated carriers and bulk carriers were built in considerable numbers to sail alongside general cargo vessels and passenger liners. After 1945 in particular, this influx of shipping coincided with a vast increase in manufacturing capacity, first of all in the West, then in Asia, which led to further developments in maritime operations especially in the way cargo is handled. The most recent developments in cargo ship design and operation have been in subsystems. Besides some changes to the basic structure of the ship, most of the detailed improvements are in the superstructure.
The cost advantage
Ocean transport: represents the cheapest means of haulage across water barriers that separate producers from consumers thousands of kilometres apart. When comparisons are made regarding the labour and the fuel costs and also the time involved in transporting vehicles via land, sea and air the shipping transport option is the cheapest option to carry vehicles in bulk from one destination to the other. Even though the fastest means of transporting vehicles is by cargo aircraft, it is the most costly option normally used only by rich businessmen and other celebrities. The use of containers has not only made cargo handling easier but has eased the transfer of goods to be transported via rail or road from the worlds major ports.
Most car manufacturers try to identify land for new production centres and assembly lines near major harbours and ports. This helps to ship cars and other vehicles much easily and reduce the cost involved when transporting vehicles via land. Scores of vehicle haulers will be needed to transport the entire cargo normally shipped in one large cargo ship.
Factors determining the importance of shipping routes
Although the oceans are open highways with few natural barriers, the bulk of the worlds trade passes along certain well-marked routes. The volume of traffic, the type of shipping and the frequency of services on these routes depend on some of the following factors.
(a) Supply and demand - The greatest traffic is found on routes between regions where economic development is the greatest eg. The North Atlantic
(b) Availability of ocean terminals - The main trade routes thus link the worlds major ports such as London, Rotterdam, Hamburg, New York, Yokohamas, Singapore, Colombo, San Francisco and Honolulu etc.
(c) Absence of physical barriers
(d) Nature of the cargo - Perishable goods, mail, urgently needed machinery or medical supplies, as well as most high value cargoes are sent by the shortest possible route.
Major ocean trade routes
(a). The North Atlantic route
(b). The Cape of Good Hope route
(c). The Mediterranean Suez Asiatic route
(e) The Panama Canal West Indian Central American route
(f) South Atlantic route
(g) The Trans Pacific route
Terminal to terminal vehicle shipping
Terminals are similar to a storage facility for cars wherein a car owner can drop his car at the facility and a driver from the auto shipping company will pick it up. The car is then shipped to destination, i.e., to another terminal for the owner to pick it up. This car shipping service offers totally hassle free car transportation for people hard pressed for time. The vehicle shipping company may even hire a local towing company to bring the car to the terminal if the customer doesnt have the time to do it himself. Some vehicle shipping companies offer terminal-to-terminal shipping option at discounted prices.
Selecting the right shipping service
Vehicle shipping companies offer services of different kinds at various prices. Vehicle shipping will be totally hassling free if the correct procedures are followed. The first option is to identify the services offered by the various vehicle-shipping companies operating from a particular area. The terms and conditions followed by each vehicle shipping company should be carefully compared and analysed. This will help to zero in on a few companies, which offer quality services at reasonable prices. Further clarifications can be made by contacting the shipping company directly to understand the services being offered.
When more than one vehicle needs to be transported, it is better to request multiple vehicle transport quotes from different operators. This helps not only to understand the cost involved, but also to find the best quote and also a company with the best shipping service. Some operators who frequently use a particular route regularly will be able to offer cheaper prices, than other operators who rarely ply that route. Almost all shipping companies have insurance coverage for each vehicle shipped with their cargo ships and vehicle transport trucks. Not only have that, shipping operators offered discounts to customers who use their services frequently. When more than one vehicle is being shipped a customer will certainly be offered discounts if he is able to bargain for a competitive price.
When contacting a vehicle-shipping firm, it should be noted that the staff there are friendly, knowledgeable and able to clarify all queries. If they are not able to clarify or behave rudely, then some other operator should be considered. The hidden costs behind each quote should be carefully identified so as to avoid difficult situations later. A vehicle shipper may offer a lower quote because the type of shipment being offered is not a door-to-door service. If the customer is able to deliver the vehicle to the point recommended by the shipping operator, then it is the easiest and cheapest option for him because the towing fees and the terminal storage costs etc can be avoided.
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