Running a business means making countless decisions - from inventory planning to customer service. With so much on your plate, it’s natural to use freight and shipping interchangeably when talking to logistics providers. But this simple mix-up can quietly increase your logistics costs with each shipment.
Understanding the Basics: Freight vs Shipping
While freight and shipping are often used interchangeably, knowing the distinction between the two can help you make smarter logistics decisions and optimize your costs.
Shipping typically refers to the transportation of smaller packages and parcels, for last mile deliveries directly to your end customers. This includes your everyday e-commerce orders, small business deliveries, and individual customer shipments. Think of it as the last mile that connects your product to your customer’s doorstep.
Freight, on the other hand, involves moving larger, heavier cargo - often in bulk quantities, from warehouse inbounding to another warehouse or fulfillment centres. This includes full truckload (FTL) shipments/ less than truckload (LTL), palletized goods, and industrial cargo that requires specialized handling and transportation.
When Should Your Business Choose Freight Services?
If you are shipping large volumes of inventory to warehouses, moving heavy machinery, or need to transport bulk goods across cities, freight services are your best bet. Freight solutions are designed for:
- Bulk inventory movements between warehouses or to fulfillment centers
- Heavy industrial equipment transportation
- Large-scale B2B shipments
- Raw material transportation for manufacturing
When Shipping Services Work Better?
For your daily business operations involving smaller packages, traditional shipping services are more suitable. This includes:
- E-commerce order fulfillment
- Sample products to potential clients
- Documents and small spare parts
Making the Right Choice for Your Business
The freight vs shipping decision ultimately depends on your cargo size, weight, destination, and urgency. Consider freight when you have large volumes and can plan ahead, as it’s typically more cost-effective per kilogram. Choose shipping for smaller, time-sensitive deliveries that need door-to-door service.
Many successful Indian businesses use a combination of both services- freight for bulk inventory movements and warehouse restocking, and shipping for customer orders and smaller business deliveries.
Streamlining Your Logistics Strategy
Understanding the difference between freight and shipping helps you build a more efficient supply chain. By choosing the right service for each shipment type, you can reduce costs, improve delivery times, and enhance customer satisfaction.
Whether you need reliable freight solutions for your bulk shipments or efficient shipping services for your daily operations, having the right logistics partner makes all the difference in scaling your business across India’s diverse market landscape.
Ship with Us!
Both shipping and freight are critical components of a successful business in India. By strategically leveraging the right services, you can drive efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Looking to streamline your logistics and grow your business? Partner with Amazon Shipping for your everyday parcel deliveries to customers, or leverage Amazon Freight for your large-scale transportation needs. We’re here to help you navigate India’s vast landscape with reliable, cost-effective, and customer-centric solutions.
Ready to make the right choice for your logistics? Explore how Amazon Shipping and Amazon Freight can empower your business today
Shipping handles packages under 18 kg (e-commerce orders, customer deliveries). Freight moves larger cargo (bulk inventory, industrial equipment). Choose based on your cargo size and business needs.
Choose freight for bulk inventory transfers, heavy machinery, large B2B shipments, raw materials, and palletized goods. It’s more cost-effective per kg for larger volumes.
Yes! Amazon Freight serves all business sizes through 350+ carrier partners across India. Access their services at ship-freight.amazon.in.
Absolutely! Use freight for bulk movements and warehouse restocking, shipping for customer orders. This freight vs shipping combination optimizes costs and efficiency.
Key freight vs shipping factors:
- Weight: Heavier shipments and bulk movement = freight, for smaller parcels directly to the end customer = shipping
- Speed: Shipping is faster for smaller items
- Cost: Freight is cheaper per kg for bulk
- Planning: Freight needs advance booking
· Purpose: Freight focuses on moving goods to fulfillment centers or between cities for businesses (middle mile), while Shipping delivers e-commerce orders to end consumers (last mile)
Amazon Freight provides GPS-enabled trucks, TSS digital locks, and OTP verification during unloading for secure freight shipments.
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