Freight Tool
Air vs Sea Shipping Decision Tool
Enter your timeline, volume, weight, value tier and cargo sensitivity to get a planning lean toward air or sea freight for your shipment.
Enter days until arrival, volume and weight above to see a planning lean.
General decision framework, not a price quote
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this tool give me a shipping cost?
No. This is a qualitative decision framework based on your shipment's timeline, volume, weight and sensitivity — it never calculates a price. Actual cost depends on current rates and carrier availability, so request a quote for a real comparison.
What if my result says "Either could work"?
It means your inputs either don't show a strong signal either way, or they point toward both air and sea at once (for example, an urgent timeline but also a large, bulky volume). In that case it's worth comparing real air and sea quotes side by side before deciding.
Why does weight per CBM matter for this decision?
It's the same dense-vs-bulky concept used in our chargeable weight calculator. Low weight relative to volume (bulky, low-density cargo) tends to make sea freight more cost-effective as volume increases, since air freight charges by volumetric weight once a shipment is bulky enough.
Is "time-sensitive" the same as "urgent"?
No. Urgency refers to how many days you have until your cargo must arrive. Time/temperature-sensitivity refers to the cargo's own condition — like perishables that degrade over time regardless of the deadline. Either one, on its own, can favor air freight.