As the global economy becomes more integrated, it is becoming increasingly important for businesses to consider the manner in which they ship their goods and services. All forms of transport are growing in volume world wide. Transit by ship and by air is growing quickly while moving goods by rail and by truck is experiencing a similarly rapid increase. The internet is just one more tool that aids the process of shipping products from suppliers to customers. The internet tends to speed up all forms of shipping by enhancing the links between production and consumption. Orders can be more specific and more quickly processed. Goods can be tracked more closely. Delays can be identified more readily, and corrected more rapidly. Production can be keyed to demand in rapid fashion. Billing can be done instantaneously. All forms of shipping have been aided by the internet. The overwhelming bulk of international trade is carried on ships, and while computers and the internet have certainly helped efficiency here, of even greater importance has been the development of container technology. Containers eliminate the need for a crew of dockworkers to laboriously unload cargo. Cranes now quickly transfer them from ship to truck or rail…
read more »