Ground vs. Air - What's more Economical, really?

[cbrunny]

I don't get it. I have a package that is coming from BC to Ontario. And I think it's coming by ground.

In a straight shot, that is 4262kms, most of which is through the USA. Add to that the re-sorts at various facilities along the way and the number of hands and times the package gets moved... I can't help but think that'd be crazy expensive.

How is it that ground is cheaper than air? Is fuel and permits for air travel really that expensive? Seems crazy to me.

Or are they shipping by air from BC to Toronto then ground the rest of the way (as if they had a different choice)? I don't get it. Canada Post Expedited Parcel, fwiw.

 

[Ns1]

shipping by ground:

shipping by plane:

 

[cbrunny]

wait, it's coming by train?

 

[Ns1]

wait, it's coming by train?

Typically, UPS uses rail if a shipment is traveling 400 or more miles.

http://www.progressiverailroading.c...ago-Area-Consolidation-Hub-on-schedule--37645

 

[KMFJD]

I don't get it. I have a package that is coming from BC to Ontario. And I think it's coming by ground.

In a straight shot, that is 4262kms, most of which is through the USA. Add to that the re-sorts at various facilities along the way and the number of hands and times the package gets moved... I can't help but think that'd be crazy expensive.

How is it that ground is cheaper than air? Is fuel and permits for air travel really that expensive? Seems crazy to me.

Or are they shipping by air from BC to Toronto then ground the rest of the way (as if they had a different choice)? I don't get it. Canada Post Expedited Parcel, fwiw.

Every time i get anything from BC through CP Expedited it's flown to Mississauga and then shipped ground the rest of the way (2 more days usually)

 

[cbrunny]

Every time i get anything from BC through CP Expedited it's flown to Mississauga and then shipped ground the rest of the way (2 more days usually)

This is my expectation as well. But curiously long delivery time - like 10 days or something. If flown, I'd expect it much sooner than that. But I suppose if it is really by train that would explain the length.

 

[dullard]

A rough estimate would be 0.01 gal/kg/hr more jet fuel. So, a 1 kg package flying for 5 hours (you need to include the occasional extra flight time for storms, etc) would use about 0.05 gal of jet fuel. Assuming 8 CAD/gallon of jet fuel, that is 0.4 CAD more. Add in higher costs of security screening and you still come up with next to nothing. But, over billions of packages it is enough to add up.

I don't think there are any fewer package handoffs by going air. You still need to truck it from the central facility to the airport and from the airport to the next central facility. You still need to truck it to/from the central facilities to/from the end points. Plus, cargo flights might not be direct, so you have to add in those transfer costs and the extra fuel for not flying direct.

 

[lxskllr]

That's a hell of a curve on those tracks. Must have had some curved rail they wanted to get rid of.

 

[cbrunny]

Interesting. Item arrived in Mississauga ON this morning (Thursday) after departing Richmond BC on Sunday PM. Transit time like that, it could have very realistically traveled by ground all the way from BC either on a train or by truck. I can't believe an item this small is better off shipping on the ground.

 

[who?]

If you add up all of the packages travelling between those two cities it might take another plane to move them all. They didn't put a whole trailer on the flatbed traincar just for your package.

 

[norseamd]

wait, it's coming by train?

Rail is extremely important for cross-country freight transport.

 

[Red Squirrel]

My guess is when you choose air, it's guaranteed to go by air or at least the fastest method possible. When you pick ground, it might still go by air when going from one long distance centre to the other. Just guessing though.

I always find that most packages end up in Mississauga pretty much right away, and then straight to me, but sometimes they end up in Concorde, when that happens, they sit for like 3 days. Been a while since I've seen that though.

 

[cbrunny]

If you add up all of the packages travelling between those two cities it might take another plane to move them all. They didn't put a whole trailer on the flatbed traincar just for your package.

oh really? i just assumed my little package with free shipping warranted extravagant care. I fully expected it's own traincar, fully padded of course, complete with in-ride entertainment and refreshments.

 

[who?]

That's a hell of a curve on those tracks. Must have had some curved rail they wanted to get rid of.

The drive wheels on a locomotive slip if you try to make it go up more than a shallow grade so you use big curves to reduce the grade on a big rise. Also the motor probably doesn't have a lot of reserve power to maintain speed up a steep grade.
Air would involve a hub and spoke system, not a direct flight.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Be thankful its not being shipped by submarine!!!