Page updated / checked 5.1.2025.
Time is money in supply chain, too. When organizing deliveries, one must take into account not only the costs but also delivery time and certainty and accuracy of the delivery. The buyer and the seller agree upon realization, responsibilities and duties of the delivery in the contract of sale. The chosen term of delivery defines the responsibility of carrying the the transport.
Goods can be delivered from/to Finland to/from abroad nearly by all existing modes of transport:
- by sea
- by land
- by road transport
- by rail transport
- by air
- by combined transport
- in containers
- in semitrailers
It is necessary to carry out the transport in accordance to the needs of each case. The choice of mode of transport depends on existing transport services and their features, such as
- service supply and ability
- transport costs, routes, transport time and reliability
- additional features or limitations of services
Before choosing mode of transport one should consider following facts:
- Technical characteristics of the goods such as dimensions (length, width, height), weights and delivery batch size and volume.
- Value of the goods. Deliveries of high-value products should be planned with special care e.g. in order to prevent breakdowns and theft.
- Product appearance, features and degree of processing – Solids, liquids and gases require special transport conditions as well as hazardous substances. Many products require thermo transportation (cold/warm).
- Import from or export to country and the distance and location between sender and recipient.
- The size of the whole batch of goods. Freight costs are more cheaper per unit the larger batches of goods transported.
- Urgency of transportation. For urgent transport often specific measures should be planned and they cost more compared to transportation carried out in normal time and under normal conditions. Company should also be able to provide fast transportation to remain competitive. Sometimes urgent transport costs does not matter as long as delivery can be delivered quickly.
- Goods damage vulnerability. Fragile deliveries require careful transport planning.
- Packaging of goods. Goods packaging possibilities often affect on selectable mode of transport – in other words, for each goods the right type of packing should be chosen along with the mode of transport.
- Loading and unloading conditions of goods. Above all, attention should be paid beforehand to recipient’s conditions or opportunities to unload different transport units so that recipient is able to unload a particular transport unit. This is quite common in exporting goods to countries where logistics operations are not as far advanced as in Finland.
- Goods handling and intermediate storage and terminal conditions. These are transport companies’ intermediate storages in terminals, port warehouses and in customs terminal as well as bulk transport to a particular foreign warehouse and further distribution from there to smaller batches to different recipients.
- The chosen mode of transport’s own special requirements, restrictions and conditions of transport.
Tasks Involved in Planning and Executing Transport
Planning and executing international transport involves the following tasks:
- Assessing transport modes and route options
- Conducting preliminary analysis of transport costs, methods, and routes
- Preparing transport and forwarding plans and providing guidance
- Determining the characteristics of the goods to be transported
- Calculating shipment sizes, transport dimensions, weights, and volumes
- Identifying the appropriate packaging methods
- Arranging packaging, unitization, and labeling
- Managing preparatory measures for imports and exports, such as drafting commercial invoices, packing lists, waybills, and customs and forwarding documents
- Negotiating and finalizing transport contracts
- Executing customs clearance procedures
- Organizing storage, handling, distribution, and sorting of goods related to transport
- Providing necessary information to all parties involved in the trade transaction: seller, buyer, and relevant stakeholders directly or indirectly participating in the delivery process
- Building the transport chain, organizing, and executing forwarding activities
- Monitoring direct and indirect costs associated with transport.
Restrictions on Transport Routes
Transport routes must be carefully planned and selected for each shipment. For established transport operations, it is also worth considering new, potentially suitable solutions. The following factors should be taken into account when planning transport routes:
Geographical Restrictions
- Limitations of the transport mode
- Restrictions along the route
- Terminals: border crossings, ports, inland terminals
- Tunnels: restrictions on equipment, such as height and width
- Bridges: weight restrictions
- Seasonal impacts
Traffic Restrictions
- Traffic jams at certain times
- Driving bans: restrictions on heavy traffic during weekends or specific times
- Unloading conditions: restrictions or congestion in ports or terminals
Other Factors
- Political events and obstacles, such as wars, strikes, pandemics (e.g., COVID-19)
- Customs restrictions: delays, complexity, and slow border inspections
- Protectionism: measures to protect domestic markets
Finland currently offers a wide range of international transport modes and route options. Freight forwarding and transport companies develop diverse transport solutions and logistics chains.
Many Finnish transport companies have formed partnerships with foreign firms. Due to Finland’s geographical location and the relatively modest size of its transport companies, it is not feasible to compete independently in the increasingly competitive field of international transport. This applies to all modes of transport, including road, rail, sea, and air.