Have you ever thought how all the goods and cargos are transferred from one place to another? Well, this is an interesting thing to know about and the whole process is known as ‘shipping'. You must have come across this term many times when you plan to dispatch a cargo and contact a shipping agent. Shipping industry is much wider and complicated than it sounds. It is an interesting concept because almost every product that is bought or sold involves shipping. Transfers of goods take place for both personal and business sections. A large number of cargos are shipped at national and international levels and shipping market is one of the largest and the most active business today. With a growth in international market, international trade has multiplied and the shipping industry is experiencing a state of boom along with the challenges.



There are basically three types of shipments and they are land, air and sea. Ground shipping is the most popular mode because it also forms the primary stages for shipment through air and sea. Local shipments are done through the channel of land while inter-state or international shipments involve air and sea. Ground shipment is more economical but when it comes to fast delivery, there is no comparison with air and ship. Can you imagine how skilled and sophisticated a shipping industry needs to be to ensure that millions of deliveries are made to the right person at the right time! This is a feature of a well-organized and responsible industry.

The term ‘shipping' is a medieval term when water transport was the only medium for inter-state transfer of goods. Air medium was not developed. It is interesting that even after ages where air route has become very busy, ships continue to rule as the medium of transport in shipping industry. Specialized and advanced naval ships have been developed in the recent past to facilitate free movement of legitimate cargo. Moreover, bulk of the international trade is done through the sea (merchant navies). In the United States of America, the US Merchant Marine does all the shipping and activities and it also functions as a war unit if there is any requirement.

Shipping is generally referred to the transport of freight. Freight denotes goods and other products that are meant for transportation for commercial gain. It is an obvious fact that the efficiency of the shipping sector for any country or state depends upon the efficiency of the transportation sector. Shipping industry is completely dependent on the means of transportation. Some of the most common types of ships that are involved in shipping are container ships (also known as box ships and the cargo is carried in truck sized boxes), bulk carriers (both wet and dry), tankers and general cargo ships.