The Differences Between Road Freight And Train Freight

By Author: Vikram Kumar
Total Articles: 9661
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When companies need to transport goods, there are two major types of freight that most companies can choose from to move their merchandise from one location to another – road freight and train freight. These two forms of freight each have their own distinct advantages and disadvantages, and it cannot be said that one is better than the other. The decision to use one or the other must depend on the circumstances and the freight needs of the company. The following are some of the criteria that can be used to evaluate whether your freight needs are better met by road or train.

One of the main deciding factors that will determine whether you are better served by road freight or rail freight is the distance between the start and end points. While a longer distance does not necessarily mean that freight by road is inappropriate, a short distance almost definitely makes rail freight inappropriate. This is because the hassle of transporting the merchandise by road first to the rail station, then from the rail station at the intended destination presents much more inconvenience than simply using road freight for the entire journey.

Thus ...
... the main advantage that road freight has over rail freight is clearly the direct delivery to the intended destination with road freight, whereas rail freight necessarily involves additional steps to transport the merchandise to the originating rail station and from the destination rail station. For a company that lacks the logistical ability to properly organize the multiple steps involved in freight by train, then freight by road is definitely the better option.

The size and quantity of merchandise to be transported is also a major factor in the decision between road and train. When moving large quantities of large merchandise, especially over longer distances, rail freight is definitely more convenient and cost effective. Instead of having to hire many trucks to move the merchandise on the roads, a few trucks can be hired to make multiple trips between the company warehouses and the rail stations, while rail cars are large enough and numerous enough for even large shipments of oversize merchandise to be transported on a single train.

Furthermore, reliability is an issue when transporting by road freight over long distances. Whereas trains are relatively reliable and usually leave and arrive on time, trucks are subject to such unpredictable conditions as traffic and weather, which sometimes force long delays as trucks are stuck in traffic jams or drivers have to slow down during snow and storms. Accidents are also a much more common occurrence on the roads than with trains.

At the end of the day, whether you choose train freight or road freight for each shipment of merchandise will depend on how much each of these individual criteria mean to you, and by making an informed decision each time, your company will spend less and be more efficient overall, thus helping to reduce overheads and improve the bottom line.

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