transit times

Transit Times

air: once cargo is actually loaded on a flight from the country of departure cargo can arrive in a matter of hours if a direct flight to destination. If not a direct flight the transit time is typically 2 or more days dependent on the number of connections and availability of space. If cargo holds are full or destination terminals congested with cargo not yet removed, delays may occur and cargo can take a week or more to arrive.

ocean: once cargo is actually loaded onto a vessel from the country of departure cargo can arrive in a matter of days if to a nearby port or weeks if to a port on another continent. Ocean cargo can experience typical delays before loading, and delays due to inspections, weather, labor issues, along with congestion at ports, market conditions and other factors not mentioned here. Trans-loading is a frequent factor in the delay of less than container load shipments. For example, most LCL shipments from the USA to Africa require trans-loading in Western Europe, South Africa or major Asian port.

truck: coast to coast times in the USA is generally less than 7 days. If less than 400 miles, cargo will generally arrive at the destination terminal within 24 hours. Areas that are remote may only be serviced by a regular route truck every other day or once a week. Residences may not have the frequency of service that is found to commercial locations. Availability of equipment such as lift gates can delay pickup or delivery.

seasonal effects: delays can be seasonally affected by volume exceeding the capacity of any point in the logistics chain.