We may have it wrong. The oldest profession may, in fact, have been trade. There is evidence that our early hominid ancestors traded across quite large distances. The basic problem, which remains today, is that people in one place want things only available in another. Trade is the answer, and modern trade can’t exist without freight shipping.
Freight Shipping Today
Today’s world, of course, is much more complex. Shipping freight in the modern world involves moving a huge assortment of material, in a multitude of different ways, all across the world. Even just within the United States, the variety that is moved by road is impressive. Though we generally don’t think about it, virtually everything we own, use, or consume has been freighted from somewhere.
It’s not just those big rigs, either. Freight shipping companies use a mixed fleet to deliver products in a myriad of ways. Vans, light or large, are excellent for moving smaller loads around urban areas. When it comes to larger items, such as cars, freight shipping companies have specialized transports. In the case of particularly heavy loads, companies may have multi-axle equipment specifically designed to move large and weighty material.
A Big Business
These big fleets are kept busy. Freight shipping companies move truckloads of produce and manufactured products across the US every day. In fact, over 50 million tons of freight are moved, on average, in the US every day. If that freight is moving less than 750 miles, the vast majority is moved by truck.
All of this means that shipping freight is big business. The industry is worth about 800 billion dollars, just in the US. With just under a million truck drivers in the US, fewer than the industry needs, about a third of the costs involved in the freight shipping industry are driver wages.
A Modern Business
Shipping freight today is an integrated operation. Modern freight shipping companies are more like freight management teams. A good company will work closely with the shipper, providing a seamless service from pickup to delivery. Working with advanced systems, and in collaboration with the shipper, a freight shipping company can find ways to move items almost anywhere, by the most efficient routes, and with the lowest costs.
Shipping freight may be an ancient idea, but today it is a huge business, run with advanced technology. Without adequate freight shipping, the American economy would come to a grinding halt.