Choosing the Right Shipping Service for your Freight to Alaska
Shipping freight to Alaska can present challenges for many reasons, not the least of which is Alaska’s proximity to the contiguous United States. Not only is Alaska situated remotely, but the state’s land mass is huge and is characterized by rugged terrain and weather, all of which contribute to the on-going challenge of shipping goods in and out of the state.
Shipping and inter-state commerce happen daily in every city and state, and thanks to the Interstate Highway system, this process happens quite easily and seamlessly in the lower 48. However, when it comes to Alaska, this process of commerce and shipping is a different ball game that requires a different level of planning and executing.
So how do you choose the right shipping service that can deliver your freight to Alaska quickly and efficiently? Well, as freight forwarders with more than 50 years of experience shipping to Alaska, we’ve got some answers to that question.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT SERVICE
There are two primary qualities to look for when searching for a freight company:
- Options—this should be one of the first questions asked of a shipping company; do they offer more than one option for shipping cargo?
- Proven Track record—take a look at their history; do they have a proven success record of shipping cargo?
If both of these questions can be answered with a YES, then chances are, you are going to have a good experience working with this company.
OTHER FACTORS TO CONSIDER
In addition to the above, there are other factors to consider when shipping cargo, such as:
- Cost
- Speed
- Transfers between carriers
- Protection of goods until final delivery
These are the primary factors that impact ALL shipping, but they are especially important when it comes to moving freight to Alaska. Everyone is concerned about cost and every company wants to ship their goods at the lowest possible cost. However, moving goods to their final destination quickly is also equally important, so it becomes a balancing act between the two: keep costs at a reasonable rate but move the freight as quickly as possible.
How do you do this? As mentioned above, you work with a company that can offer you options. Here at Alaska Air Forwarding, we use commercial, passenger and all-cargo air carriers as well as charter aircraft, depending on the need. By using more than one air carrier, we’re able to balance cost and efficiency by giving our customer the best price and service available.
There are also occasions when shipping cargo will require multiple transfers. When this is the case, logistics become a bit more complex and the assurance that the item or items arrive undamaged becomes an even greater concern.
This is why it is so important to work with a company that has a proven track record. We have been doing this for over 50 years and have built a network of over 500 partner agents that enable us to easily plan more complex logistics when multiple transfers may be needed in a shipment.
We also go the extra mile with our door-to-door pick-up and delivery service which ensures the safe delivery of every shipment that leaves one of our ports. This attention to detail has been the factor that sets us apart from so many other shipping companies and has also won the trust of many satisfied customers who have chosen Alaska Air Forwarding over and over again.
When it comes to choosing the right shipping company for your Alaska shipping needs, choose a company that can offer options and a proven track record. We invite you to consider Alaska Air Forwarding. We look forward to answering your questions and getting your cargo to Alaska cost-effectively and on-time.
