Common air freight complications

Whether you’re moving, relocating your business, or shipping something across the globe, you’re probably thinking of ways to ship your belongings to the needed destination. There are a few options to choose from depending on what you’re looking for. If you’re shipping things overseas, you can choose either sea freight or air freight. Of course, air freight is the faster, but more expensive option. But if that’s the best choice for your needs, it’s worth the few extra pennies. To make sure you’re ready for what shipping your things globally entails, we’re here to talk about the common air freight complications. Hopefully, being aware of these things will help you avoid any issues and prepare accordingly.

Incorrect packing and labeling is a common air freight complication

If you’re planning on shipping your things by air when moving globally, you should read up before packing. Namely, there are certain rules for packing things for air freight shipping. If you need guidance, you can always ask an international moving expert for help.  The important thing is that you follow certain rules, standards, and laws when packing your shipment.

If not, you’ll face one of the common air freight complications that have to do with incorrect packing. If you don’t pack and label your things according to the standards, the result will be shipment delays and legal complications. So, check out the worldwide and airline requirements for your package dimensions and weight.

Other than that, you should also learn how you’re supposed to label your packages. The labels need to contain all the information about the shipper and the receiver, handling symbols and a bar code. Following these rules and standards is the best way to avoid unnecessary air freight issues.

Shipping hazardous or prohibited items

Other than knowing how you’re supposed to pack your things, you also need to know what you’re allowed to ship. Do some research and see if the airline prohibits you from shipping certain items. In that case, you’ll be forced to look for a different way to ship these things.

Also, before moving to New Zealand from the US, you should find out if anything you’re shipping is hazardous. If so, the shipping method will significantly change. The pros will have to use special vehicles for safely transporting these goods.

To avoid any air freight shipping complications due to shipping hazardous materials, you should learn which items could be a risk. Here’s a quick run-down of potentially hazardous goods:

• Items containing oil or gasoline
• Liquids containing flammable ingredients – acid, pesticides, ethanol, etc.
• Batteries

Rules and regulations

When you’re shipping cargo by plane, there are lots of rules you have to follow and paperwork you need to take care of. Complying with the rules and following all the regulations, meeting the standards, etc. is the only way to avoid any legal issues. Also, it’s the only way to make sure your goods get customs clearance. If all this is a little too much for you to handle, you can hire logistics specialists to help you. They will handle all the important paperwork and organize your shipment to make sure everything’s in order. That’s always the best way of preventing air freight obstacles.

Air freight shipping expenses

As we’ve briefly mentioned above, shipping your packages is the most time-efficient but also the most expensive. If you’re looking into international car transportation by plane, for example, you can expect it to be quite costly. Therefore, it’s best to figure out the costs that come with air freight and prepare a budget in advance. In order to prepare your shipping budget, you should take the size of your shipment into consideration as well as the distance, fuel costs, parking fees, etc.

To make everything easier and avoid the challenges of air freight shipping, hire a company that can help you. If you hire a trustworthy company, they will give you a reliable estimate of your shipping price. Other than preparing you for the expenses, they will also handle the logistics and make sure the shipment goes smoothly.

Unexpected delays are another air freight complication

When you’re shipping your goods, especially by plane, you expect them to get to the destination on time. However, sometimes certain factors affect the shipment and cause a delay. Some examples are bad weather conditions, customs, paperwork issues, and, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic we’re in the middle of. Even though air freight usually is the best way to quickly ship cargo, you should know that sometimes you can run into complications and delays. Most of the time, there’s nothing you can do about it, you just need to wait it out. Have patience when dealing with this air freight issue.

How to avoid air freight complications

Now that you know some of the air shipping complications that people are often faced with, we want to tell you a few ways of avoiding them. Here are three simple tips that should help you prevent these issues.

1. Do your research and prepare. Doing your due diligence and reading up on all the rules and procedures will help you ship your goods safely and correctly.
2. Work with a reliable logistics company. If you don’t have experience with shipping goods by plane, you can hire professionals who do. Companies like Transparent International NYC will help you properly ship your belongings overseas and avoid air freight issues.
3. Read other people’s experiences with global shipping. To mentally prepare yourself for this project and learn a bit more about it, find other people’s experiences. You might be able to learn from their mistakes instead of your own.

So, now that you’re aware of the air freight complications and how to prevent them, you’re ready for your global relocation. Take it to step by step, do your research and consider working with a logistics company that can make the process easier.