At the advent of flight, it seemed that anything could get anywhere almost instantaneously. Since the Wright brothers first flew in 1903, people have envisioned a world where air traffic created an immediacy that was unparalleled, increasing the market for expedited shipping solutions. That outcome has largely been realized—at least in potential, but still, most people are surprised to learn that, when it comes to freight and shipping, delivery by sea is still the most popular method of long-distance shipment.

Both UPS and FedEx have established leading reputations in the shipping industry. Both companies have large fleets of automobiles, planes and boats to conduct their shipping. Both companies are international, and both companies deliver promises for shipment in as few as five days, anywhere, worldwide. How each package arrives at its final destination, for most customers, matters as much as finding the mythical unicorn. Sure, it is nice to know how a shipment travels, but as long as it arrives on time, what is the difference?

The difference may be as surprising as the revelation that the most popular shipping traffic is by sea: some forms of travel are more prone to loss and delay than others. It does not take an educated mind to guess that auto transport for both UPS and FedEx is the most prone method to delayed delivery. Inclement weather, construction and obstruction may all factor into a delayed ground delivery. A surprise to many: air delivery is the second most delayed. When it comes to dependability, boats are at the top.

Obviously, water traffic is not the most effective shipping method for every outcome, or all shippers would use it exclusively. Without a doubt, pending no delays (or even marginal delays) air delivery is the fastest option for all expedited shipping solutions. Again, however, many people are surprised to discover that when water delivery is an option, it is faster than automobile traffic. For example, FedEx and UPS will both route coastal deliveries with the use of water delivery. Because boats travel a direct route and do not need to stop for fueling as often, they reach their destinations more quickly than ground traffic.

Customers shipping packages internationally, coastally or even transcontinentally then, may begin to get a better picture of the nuances that go into routing a package. As discussed, UPS and FedEx make decisions about how a package is delivered based on the needs of individual customers. Factors, such as the cost of shipping, the agreed upon delivery time, and the efficacy of the route, all determine how each parcel is routed.

When possible, ground shipping is the most cost effective. Local US shipments that are scheduled for normal delivery time will regularly be routed by vehicle to a nearby train yard. From the train, the package will ship to its state of destination and be picked up again by vehicle. Though this method is slow, it is reliable and inexpensive. Because a package is most likely to trade hands many times when delivered by ground, the major downside is its likelihood of being lost. When a client knows his or her package travels by ground, tracking the shipment is valuable, as the shipping company must compensate loss.

International shipping and expedited shipping in the continental US will call upon the haste of air traffic. Many UPS and FedEx hubs are located on or near the grounds of major airports. Because of their vital location, these hubs ensure fewer transfers (resulting in quicker delivery) and enhance the safety of package delivery. Air delivery, again, is the most costly method, a downside that reflects in the customer’s bill for shipment.

In cases where time allows, boat travel for a parcel is the preferred method. Boat delivery is both reliable, reducing the number of hands that handle a package, and inexpensive, reducing the cost for clients to ship. It will take more time for the parcel to arrive at its intended location, but in every way, it is the most effective way to handle a parcel.

Always, the most prone to loss, delay and cost factor is automobile travel. FedEx has a large fleet of vehicles, UPS has the largest in the shipment industry, and both are forced to rely on this method to apply door-to-door delivery. To fuel the vehicles, and staff them (staffing costs apply to planes, boats, and trains, where a single employee can oversee several hundred times – more packages than a driver) also hikes the cost of delivery, but this cost applies to every package for its final leg of delivery. Knowing how a package will ship is key to understanding the cost and risk of loss. The empowered client is one who prevents the most personal loss.