Modes of sea freight transport

Whether by sea container, Ro-Ro or by charter, we are a versatile and flexible alternative for moving any kind of goods, whether perishable foodstuffs, heavy machinery, bulk cargo, liquids or even dangerous goods.

The modalities that can be found in this means of transport are the following:

National maritime transport

We carry out regular domestic maritime transport operations from the Iberian Peninsula to the Canary Islands or the Balearic Islands.

We sail every day to the Balearic Islands, and on Fridays to the Canary Islands. Occasionally, and depending on demand, we also sail to the Canary Islands on Tuesdays.

Our service adapts to the needs of the client and the location of the goods, with multiple options to choose between groupage of goods and full load, and can also be combined with maritime container transport by road or Ro-Ro mode.

International sea freight transport

International maritime transport is the mainstay of foreign trade in goods between countries. It represents more than 80% of global trade in goods and 50% of Spanish imports and exports.

As we have already mentioned, it is the most economical, profitable, efficient and safe international transport system, being able to send large quantities of maritime containers and volumes at a very low cost.

Incoterms in international Trade Terms

Incoterms or international trade terms are used to delimit the obligations that the importer has towards the exporter.

Among all of them, we would like to highlight those related to international maritime transport, for which we mention the following:

FOB (Free on Board)

FOB is an international trade term used for the purchase and sale of goods by sea or inland waterway.

In the FOB clause, the seller is responsible for delivering the product at the port of shipment, directly on the cargo ship agreed between both parties. At this point, all risk is transferred to the buyer, who is responsible for all other costs.

The seller only has to carry out the outward customs formalities and arrange the main transport at the buyer’s expense.

The costs of FOB operations, once they arrive at the port, are called “strict FOB” where the following are considered:

• The cargo.
• The carriage.
• Receiving costs.

FAS (Free Alongside Ship)

The FAS, like the FOB, is a clause exclusive to international maritime trade.

Its main difference with FOB is that the seller’s responsibilities end when the goods are left on the quay at the port of shipment. The rest of the costs and responsibility until its arrival at destination are borne by the buyer.

This Incoterm is very common, for example, in the transport of bulk goods by ship.

CFR (Cost and Freight) and CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight)

The CFR and CIF Incoterms are very similar, except that, in the second (CIF), the transport insurance during the sea voyage is paid by the seller.

In this situation, the seller bears all transport costs until the cargo arrives at the port of destination, excluding the unloading of the goods. Once there, the buyer must bear the costs from handling at the port of arrival to destination.

Advantages of sea freight transport

The advantages of maritime transport are many, and some of them have already been mentioned above. Without dwelling on the type of goods to be transported, we find the following advantages:

1. Affordable price: the maritime alternative continues to be the most economical in general terms for long distances such as international transport.
2. Scope: the coverage of this means of transport is unlimited, as two-thirds of the planet is covered by water.
3. Variety of goods: there are many types of sea containers or adaptations to transport all kinds of products.
4. Safety: by following pre-established routes with little traffic, accidents or delivery delays are very, very rare.
5. Weight limitations: much less restrictive compared to land or air transport.
6. High volume of cargo: possibility of moving loads with dimensions much larger than those that can be transported by plane, train or lorry.

Disadvantages of sea transport

Despite the advantages, transport by sea also has some disadvantages, which in many cases do not harm logistical operations, but it is worth knowing about them:

1. Duration: the main disadvantage of maritime transport is the time required to travel the distances between ports, having to skirt continents.
2. Weather: depending on weather conditions, the departure of a merchant ship or the arrival of cargo at a port may be delayed.
3. Low regularity: this type of transport requires prior preparation before sailing, so it is not possible to have scheduled departures from one day to the next or urgent departures as there are in other modes of transport.
4. Time-based planning: Due to the long journey time of most shipments by sea, shipments must be planned so that the dates match and the goods are delivered without delay.

Other means of freight transport

For shipments of goods, whether to other countries or within Spain, it is best to choose the means of transport that best suits your needs.

For this reason, at Transguard Storage Logistics you will also find the following services:

Brief history and evolution of maritime transport

Finally, we will talk a little about the history and evolution of the maritime transport of goods.

From the Egyptians to the Phoenicians

Its introduction took place when the world began to show the need to move cargoes to distant places, crossing large bodies of water.

The first documented models of ships used to transport goods date back to the 25th century BC. On one such voyage organised by the Pharaoh Sahure, large quantities of myrrh, electro and ebony logs were transported to the country of Punt.

Centuries later the Phoenicians did invent merchant ships proper, intended exclusively for the movement of goods. The Phoenicians are also remembered as the forerunners of maritime routes, having a constant recurrence in their voyages around the Mediterranean, even going as far as the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The Modern Age

As the ages progressed, the design of ships improved, allowing them to make longer voyages and carry greater quantities of goods.

Many centuries later, around the Modern Age, galleys began to be used, a vessel pushed by the wind and oars placed on the sides of the ship with the help of human effort.

These vessels would be replaced by caravels, which functioned differently because the main means of propulsion was wind alone. The design of the sails shared the square and triangular shape to make the most of the force of the air.

The 17th century was the birth of the frigates, the predecessors of the steam-powered ships that would see the light of day in the 19th century.

The Contemporary Age

At the end of the 19th century, specifically in 1897, Rudolf Diesel developed the fossil-fuelled engine which replaced the steam engine.

Then, as the years went by, the manufacture of ships began to optimise the shipment of goods across intercontinental routes followed by the construction of ports.

Finally, the construction of the Suez Canal (in 1867) and the Panama Canal (in 1904) made it possible to shorten maritime routes, saving the dozens of days it took to sail around the African continent and South America.