Skyairtravel

From letters to air planes, it is now possible to ship just about anything through air freight services.

All these stuffs can be carried through commercial airplanes to various mammoth-like flying machines.

International air freight can be divided into simpler categories though. While just as we have said, everything can be shipped via air there should always be some form of separation between items so that various risks can be avoided.

The three basic categories of air freight are:

Air freights that are carried through passenger air lines
Air freights that are carried through special cargo planes, and
Air freights that are huge enough to be carried by super cargo planes

Along with the passengers, international air lines can also carry with them stuffs that would be stationed to various air freight service locations. These then will be delivered via rail or road to their proper recipients.

The United States Postal Service has leased some 15 000 to 25 000 passenger planes daily to haul freight. This takes up 5 to 10 percent of all air freight revenue.

This type of international air freight are packed along with other shipments on special containers that are designed to fit the storage area beneath the passenger compartment. However, some air freight can be put on pallets while other relatively smaller items can be made to fit on remaining open spaces.

The Boeing 747-400 is usually used as the freight carrier in the passenger air line category. However, it can also be made to hold 10 000 cubic feet of cargo when on the Combi mode. This is when some of the passenger compartments are partly turned into cargo areas.

But when configured, this plane can be transformed into a huge cargo plane which can then haul as much as 5 semi trucks.

Since Boeing 747-400s are not specifically made as air freighters, there is not as much room as with a cargo plane to fit a forklift truck for loading pallets, special electric rollers are equipped on the load floor. These rollers are used to move the cargoes into the inner chambers of cargo areas.

However, for hauling huge items, a super transporter is needed. It is used for transporting helicopters and planes and is purely designed to perform such tasks.

Such planes are built in a way that when an object fits comfortably through the door then it can fit into the body of the plane. The plane is large enough to carry terribly hugr stuffs. It carries up to 47 ton stuffs but still not large enough to carry military tanks.

For such big-time requirements, Antonov AN-225 can do the job.

For this monster-air transporter, three military trucks is just about as easy as for a Boeing 747-400 to carry international air freights at its own limits.

This was originally a Russian space shuttle. With a wingspan as huge as a football field, this air freight super transporter can send to any destination some 80 cars or 3-4 military trucks. Well, if this isn’t huge enough for your air freight service requirements then you might as well arrange multiple sending of stuffs.

Now you’ve seen your options of air freights. From sending your niece her birthday present to shipping military tanks, you are sure to find your way of sending cargoes from coast to coast.

Freight is technically the term used to describe the cargo for shipment. Air freight, on the other hand, is the cargo that is being shipped via air. This may be done using typical passenger airplane aboard the cargo area or through specialized cargo planes dedicated for this special industry.

It is primarily divided into three categories: a) household goods, b) express deliveries, c) parcel shipment, and d) freight shipments.

Each of which is priced depending on the system as provided by the National Motor Freight Classification. Each class also corresponds to the goods that can be shipped. Say for household goods, only those that can be considered furniture and household appliances can be subjected to price ranges and services provided in this area. Express deliveries, in general, include items such as mails, business papers and envelopes. Parcels, on the other hand, include those items that are usually boxed. Freight shipment though covers all other huge items that can’t be accommodated by services functioning in the lower classes.

Air freight is further subdivided into two categories: The Less-than-Truckload Freight which basically accommodate items that are less than 15 000 pounds and have the height of exactly 28 inches or even lesser than that. The other subcategory of freight shipments is the Truckload Freight that covers item weighing 43 000 pounds or less and has the length not exceeding to 53 inches.

Shipments larger than these are often carried by super cargo planes. Those relatively huge items such as military equipments, planes and helicopters are carried through the Antonov AN-225- the largest cargo plane in the world.

For each type of air freight cargo, there is basically some air freight carriers to do the job. Most often than not, smaller items can be shipped using passenger air planes turned into air freight carriers.

Boeing 747-400 is usually configured into air freight carrier since it has space large enough to accommodate items for forwarding. But since it is not purely designed as an air freight carrier, there are some crucial limitations that impedes to its absolute use for this exact purpose. Nevertheless, when used as an air freight carrier, it may function well enough to transport cargoes of various kinds towards their proper destinations.

Air freight carriers like Bekins and North American Van Lines specialize in household goods delivery. FedEx Express, UPS and DHL top rate the field of express deliveries yet it is basically everybody’s game since this field appears to be the easiest route when you want to make money in the forwarding business. Leading air freight carriers in the parcel division (also known as ground shipment) are FedEx Grounds and UPS. While for Less-than-Truckload and Truckload freight areas, air freight carrier names like Old Dominion, AAA Cooper, Averett Express, Roadway, Schneider and JB Hunt are the most trusted.

In the air freight industry, there are also middlemen in the playing field. These are often called as freight brokers since they are the institutions that create arrangements between shippers and air freight companies. Brokers are reached through online marketplaces. They are the best sources for discounts since they have the direct contacts with air service providers.

Major air freight brokers are CHRobinson, Hub Group, Twin Modal and Rockwell.

If you want better and easier access to the names we have listed above, it is best to find sources through online intermediaries such as Transcore DAT, Freightquote.com and uShip.com.

The Birth…

Even before, flying has been an innovation. Humans before couldnt imagine of a time without journey. All they wanted was to fly. Thats why airplanes were born. Eventually, technology made it a reality for people to ride on the airplane near the pilot. People became restless that they started thinking of some beneficial ways where they can use the plane.

It was on the year 1910 when the idea that a plane can be used to carry shipments began. History revealed that a bolt of silk was the first to be shipped in a plane. The shipment was carried from Dayton to Columbus in Ohio. This was said to be the first demonstration of the air freight.

In 1919, another shipment took place. A converted bomber was shipped by the American Railway Express. The cargo was 1100 pounds, and was transported from Washington D.C to Chicago. Unluckily, the plane and the radiator froze had to land in Ohio. However, that didnt hinder the people from using the plane as freight carrier.

During the late 1920s, more airlines operated as freight carrier. The creation of the freight carrier was used for American business only. The air freight had helped them not only in making the transportation of merchandise rapidly but also the fast pace of the process.

Undeniably, the primitive stages of the air freight business made a remarkable growth.

By the year 1927 to 1931 the number and size of the shipments had increased from 45,000 pounds to almost a million pounds. Though there were some effort at planning and organizing the air freight business, the commercial air freight did not operate until World War II ended.

The top 4 known airlines namely: American, United, TWA and Eastern formed the Air Cargo Inc. The primary mission of the company was to pick up and deliver cargo.

The Air Cargo was active until the end of the world. But in 1944, United and TWA began to be independent and had their own air freight business.

There were lots of small plane owners who wanted to part of the air cargo industry but were not accepted. The big airlines didnt like smaller airlines to operate in the business. One reason for that was the possibility that the small airlines might screw up the constant status of the industry. Another reason was the former didnt want to be involved in a competition.

Unluckily, those small plane operators who tried fell by the pavement. Theres only one that survived- its called the Flying Tigers. The Flying Tigers made it because it carried both military and civilian freight. And it was also known before as the largest in air freight liner industry.

In spite of the good start, the air freight business wasnt developing that much. It didnt work well in the business. Until someone in the name of Fred Smith opened up his new air freight known today as the Federal Express.

The Air Freight Industry Today

Federal express has been known today as one of the successful air freight carrier. With the aid of modern technology, it now uses air freight software to be able to provide the needs of the customers. The air freight software is the latest innovation for freight forwarders. It will resolve any problems in the system plus give you excellent and cost effective services.

Today the FedEx or the Federal Express is linked with the (UPS) United Parcel. The two freight carrier is now known to be the most reliable and trusted air delivery services in the country.