There are many factors to consider when choosing a mode of transport. Transport options for delivering goods from or to Finland include sea, land, road, rail, air, and combined transport, using containers or semi-trailers. Key considerations include the physical characteristics of the goods, their value, type, destination distance, batch size, urgency, fragility, packaging, and loading/unloading conditions. The requirements of the specific transport mode must also be taken into account.

1. 10TRANSPORT CHOOSING MODE OF TRANSPORT
Goodscan be deliveredfrom/toFinlandto/fromabroadnearlybyall existingmodesof transport:
 by sea
 by land
 by road transport
 by rail transport
 by air
 by combinedtransport
 incontainers
 insemitrailers
Before choosingmode of transportone shouldconsiderfollowingfacts:
 Technical characteristics of the goodssuch as dimensions(length,width,height),weightsand
deliverybatchsize andvolume.
 Value of the goods. Deliveriesof high-valueproductsshouldbe plannedwithspecial care e.g.in
orderto preventbreakdownsandtheft.
 Product appearance, featuresanddegree of processing –Solids,liquidsandgasesrequire special
transportconditionsaswell ashazardoussubstances.Manyproductsrequire thermotransportation
(cold/warm).
 Import from or exportto country and the distance andlocationbetweensenderandrecipient.
 The size of the whole batch of goods.Freightcostsare more cheaperperunitthe largerbatchesof
goodstransported.
 Urgencyof transportation. For urgenttransport oftenspecificmeasuresshouldbe plannedand
theycost more comparedto transportationcarriedoutinnormal time andundernormal conditions.
Companyshouldalsobe able toprovide fasttransportationtoremaincompetitive.Sometimes
urgenttransportcosts doesnotmatter as longas deliverycanbe deliveredquickly.
 Goodsdamage vulnerability.Fragile deliveriesrequire careful transportplanning.
 Packaging of goods. Goodspackagingpossibilitiesoftenaffectonselectablemode of transport–in
otherwords,for eachgoodsthe right type of packingshouldbe chosenalongwiththe mode of
transport.
 Loading and unloadingconditionsof goods. Above all,attentionshouldbe paidbeforehandto
recipient’sconditionsoropportunitiestounloaddifferenttransportunitssothatrecipientisable to
unloada particulartransportunit.Thisis quite commoninexportinggoodstocountrieswhere
logisticsoperationsare notas far advancedas inFinland.
 Goodshandlingand intermediate storage and terminal conditions.These are transport companies’
intermediate storagesinterminals,portwarehousesandincustomsterminal aswell asbulk
transportto a particularforeignwarehouse andfurtherdistributionfromthere tosmallerbatchesto
differentrecipients.
 The chosenmode of transport’sownspecial requirements,restrictionsandconditionsof transport.