Know the Costs and Know How To Save on Air Freight Shipping

Know the Costs and Know How To Save on Air FreightShippingAir freight shipping, in most cases, is fairlycomplicated when it comes to pricing. But thereare of course some areas when all you need is tolook at the price list and voila- your parcel isalready in mid air.Letters and parcels are often priced based on theweight, size and the service level the shipperchooses. These are often fixed and seldom wouldone find great discrepancies in pricing. But asfor air freight shipping prices, it is no good to

be surprised at how high one item can cost.The National Motor Freight Traffic Associationhas provided a system of pricing shipments knownas the National Motor Freight Classification.This works on the principle of creating classesfor items and for each class are some generalprices.Items are basically grouped into various types tomake listing easier. This grouping is based onqualifications like loadability,mixed-environment appropriateness, density and anumber of other factors. In general, freightclasses apply to all items- from express lettersto huge machineries including helicopters andplanes. Freight classes range from 50 to 500.Freight shipments are rated by means of \"per onehundred pounds\" parameter. However, other airfreight forwarders make use of per hundred weightsystem and cwt.

Each freight class is able to provide discountson the base rate. Plus, there is always a discountgiven on the transportation rates.Nevertheless, such discounts can be set off bycharges that are often treated as accesorial yetcrucial to the base rate that would later come upfor the shipment. The most commonly foundaccesorial charges and surcharges are discussedbelow.To save on these charges, it is best to know yourgrounds first and study in full the terms andconditions of air freight shipping as provided bythe freight company.Lift gate- When there is no forklift or loadingdock available, a lift gate service is billed tohelp drivers load and unload the shipments forresidential pickups and deliveries or commercialpick up and deliveries. To avoid complications

during the process, it is best that you notify theair freight service provider in case you see theneed of a lift gate since trailers are rarelyequipped with this item.Additional fees in reconfiguring routes- Most airfreight shipping are designed to follow a routeof some sorts. If you require the company to takeanother route apart from what is earlier set, theywould most likely charge you with additional feesfor this extra work.Extra charges on inside pick up and delivery- Whenyou need to have your shipment picked up ordelivered inside an establishment or a building,this will impede the carrier to finish his routeon schedule. Thus, to set off the expenses theyare likely to use, carriers will require you ofsome additional charges.Residential pick up and delivery- To off set thecosts incurred for transferring shipments to

smaller trailers, most air freight shippingcompanies require extra charges on residentialpick ups and deliveries. This is the case sincemost local laws restrain larger sizes of trucksfrom entering residential areas.There are literally hundreds of possibilities forextra payments that would stock up on your finalbill. For Less-than-Truckload and Truckloadshipments, it is advisable that shippers seek forintermediaries who would not only guide themthrough the process but would also realize forthem some forms of savings.