Kargo

Kargo merupakan barang-barangan atau hasil keluaran yang diangkut terutama sekali untuk keuntungan perdagangan melalui kapal, kapal terbang, keretapi, van mahupun lori. Pada zaman moden, kontena paling sering digunakan untuk pengangkutan kargo.
Pelabuhan mengendalikan pelbagai barang muatan kapal.
Pesawat mula-mula digunakan untuk mengangkut surat sebagai barang angkutan pada tahun 1911. Lama-kelamaan, para pengilang mula mereka cipta pesawat untuk pelbagai jenis angkutan.
Terdapat banyak pesawat komersil yang sesuai untuk mengangkut kargo seperti Boeing 747 dan An‑124 yang direka khas untuk mudah diubah suai kepada pesawat kargo. Pesawat yang begitu besar menggunakan kontena cepat muat yang dikenali sebagai peranti beban unit (unit load device, ULD), lebih kurang seumpama kapal kargo berkontena. ULD terletak di bahagian hadapan pesawat.
Kebanyakan negara memiliki dan menggunakan sejumlah besar pesawat kargo tentera seperti C‑17 Globemaster III untuk keperluan logistik.
Kereta api mampu mengangkut sejumlah besar kontena yang didatangkan dari pelabuhan kapal, di samping juga digunakan untuk mengangkut keluli, kayu dan arang. Kereta api digunakan kerana mampu menampung jumlah angkutan yang besar serta sering menggunakan laluan terus ke destinasi. Dalam keadaan yang mengizinkan, pengangkutan kargo secara kereta api lebih menjimatkan belanja dan tenaga daripada jalan raya, terutamanya untuk angkutan pukal dan jarak panjang.
Kelemehan utama angkutan kereta api adalah tiadanya kefleksibelan. Oleh sebab itu, kereta api kurang berdaya saing dengan pengangkutan jalan raya, malah tertakluk kepada kos pemindahan kerana angkutannya perlu dipindahkan dari satu kaedah ke kaedah pengangkutan yang lain. Amalan seperti pengkontenaan bertujuan mengurangkan kos-kos tersebut.
Kebanyakan kerajaan sedang cuba menggalakkan pengusaha kargo untuk melebihkan penggunaan kereta api atas alasan mesra alam.
Kebanyakan firma seperti Parcelforce, FedEx dan R+L Carriers mengangkut segala jenis kargo dengan kenderaan jalan raya. Baik surat mahupun rumah dan kontena kargo, syarikat-syarikat sedemikian menawarkan penghantaran yang secepat dalam masa sehari.
Contoh terutamanya sekali adalah makanan, kerana pasar raya memerlukan penghantaran hari-hari untuk memastikan rak-raknya sentiasa berisi barang-barangan. Segala jenis peruncit mengharapkan lori penghantaran, baik lori semitreler saiz penuh atau van penghantaran kecil-kecil.
Lazimnya, barang angkutan disusun-bahagikan kepada pelbagai golongan sebelum dihantar. Kategori sesebuah barangan ditentukan mengikut:
Barang hantaran lazimnya dikategorikan sebagai barangan isi rumah, ekspres, parsel, dan tambang:
Less than truckload (LTL) cargo is the first category of freight shipment, which represents the majority of freight shipments and the majority of business-to-business (B2B) shipments. LTL shipments are also often referred to as motor freight and the carriers involved are referred to as motor carriers.
LTL shipments range from 50 hingga 7,000 kg (110 hingga 15,430 lb), being less than 2.5 hingga 8.5 m (8 ka 2.4 in hingga 27 ka 10.6 in) the majority of times. The average single piece of LTL freight is 600 kg (1,323 lb) and the size of a standard pallet. Long freight and/or large freight are subject to extreme length and cubic capacity surcharges.
Trailers used in LTL can range from 28 hingga 53 ka (8.53 hingga 16.15 m). The standard for city deliveries is usually 48 ka (14.63 m). In tight and residential environments the 28 ka (8.53 m) trailer is used the most.
The shipments are usually palletized, stretch [shrink]-wrapped and packaged for a mixed-freight environment. Unlike express or parcel, LTL shippers must provide their own packaging, as carriers do not provide any packaging supplies or assistance. However, circumstances may require crating or other substantial packaging.
Air freight shipments are very similar to LTL shipments in terms of size and packaging requirements. However, air freight or air cargo shipments typically need to move at much faster speeds than 800 km atau 497 bt per day. Air shipments may be booked directly with the carriers, through brokers or with online marketplace services. While shipments move faster than standard LTL, air shipments don’t always actually move by air.
In the United States, shipments larger than about 7,000 kg (15,432 lb) are typically classified as truckload (TL) freight. This is because it is more efficient and economical for a large shipment to have exclusive use of one larger trailer rather than share space on a smaller LTL trailer.
By the Federal Bridge Gross Weight Formula the total weight of a loaded truck (tractor and trailer, 5-axle rig) cannot exceed 36,000 kg (79,366 lb) in the United States. In ordinary circumstances, long-haul equipment will weigh about 15,000 kg (33,069 lb), leaving about 20,000 kg (44,092 lb) of freight capacity. Similarly a load is limited to the space available in the trailer, normally 48 ka (14.63 m) or 53 ka (16.15 m) long, 2.6 m (102.4 in) wide, 2.7 m (8 ka 10.3 in) high and 13 ka 6 in atau 4.11 m high over all.
While express, parcel and LTL shipments are always intermingled with other shipments on a single piece of equipment and are typically reloaded across multiple pieces of equipment during their transport, TL shipments usually travel as the only shipment on a trailer. In fact, TL shipments usually deliver on exactly the same trailer as they are picked up on.
Often, an LTL shipper may realize savings by utilizing a freight broker, online marketplace or other intermediary, instead of contracting directly with a trucking company. Brokers can shop the marketplace and obtain lower rates than most smaller shippers can obtain directly. In the LTL marketplace, intermediaries typically receive 50% to 80% discounts from published rates, where a small shipper may only be offered a 5% to 30% discount by the carrier. Intermediaries are licensed by the DOT and have requirements to provide proof of insurance.
Truckload (TL) carriers usually charge a rate per kilometre or mile. The rate varies depending on the distance, geographic location of the delivery, items being shipped, equipment type required, and service times required. TL shipments usually receive a variety of surcharges very similar to those described for LTL shipments above. In the TL market, there are thousands more small carriers than in the LTL market. Therefore, the use of transportation intermediaries or brokers is extremely common.
Another cost-saving method is facilitating pickups or deliveries at the carrier’s terminals. By doing this, shippers avoid any accessorial fees that might normally be charged for liftgate, residential pickup/delivery, inside pickup/delivery, or notifications/appointments. Carriers or intermediaries can provide shippers with the address and phone number for the closest shipping terminal to the origin and/or destination.
Shipping experts optimize their service and costs by sampling rates from several carriers, brokers and online marketplaces. When obtaining rates from different providers, shippers may find quite a wide range in the pricing offered. If a shipper in the United States uses a broker, freight forwarder or other transportation intermediary, it is common for the shipper to receive a copy of the carrier's Federal Operating Authority. Freight brokers and intermediaries are also required by Federal Law to be licensed by the Federal Highway Administration. Experienced shippers avoid unlicensed brokers and forwarders because if brokers are working outside the law by not having a Federal Operating License, the shipper has no protection in the event of a problem. Also, shippers normally ask for a copy of the broker's insurance certificate and any specific insurance that applies to the shipment.
Kerajaan sangat prihatin dengan pengiriman kargo, seperti yang ia mungkin membawa risiko keselamatan negara. Oleh itu, banyak kerajaan telah diperbuat aturan dan peraturan-peraturan, diberikan oleh agensi kastam, untuk pengendalian kargo untuk meminimalkan risiko pengganas dan jenayah lain-lain. Perhatian khusus adalah kargo memasuki melalui perbatasan negara.
Amerika Syarikat telah menjadi salah satu pemimpin dalam mendapatkan kargo. Mereka melihat kargo sebagai usaha untuk keselamatan negara. Setelah serangan pengganas pada 11 September, keselamatan sebesar ini kargo telah menjadi menekankan pada lebih dari 6 juta bekas kargo masukkan Amerika Syarikat pelabuhan setiap tahun. Kerajaan sambutan untuk ancaman ini adalah CSI: Bekas Keselamatan Inisiatif. CSI adalah program ini dimaksudkan untuk membantu meningkatkan keamanan untuk kontena kargo dihantar ke Amerika Syarikat dari seluruh dunia. Eropah juga fokus pada masalah ini, dengan beberapa EU-dibiayai projek yang sedang dijalankan.
Terdapat pelbagai cara dan bahan yang disediakan untuk menstabilkan dan menambat kargo dalam pelbagai jenis pengangkutan. Kaedah-kaedah dan bahan-bahan penambatan muatan yang lazim seperti tali pengikat keluli dan pendakap kayu atau plastik masih laris digunakan sejak puluhan tahun dahulu. Kaedah-kaedah tambat muatan yang sedia ada menawarkan beberapa pilihan lain seperti tali pengikat poliester, webing sintetik dan beg kembung.