There are different ways of moving people and goods from one location to another. Some movements are done by air, water, rails, and land. Water transportation is the entire process involved in the movement of freight, people, and even mail through different water channels. Some of the channels are canals, oceans, lakes, seas, and rivers. These movements may be done by ship, barge, as well sailboat.
Water transportation is a very vital mode of transportation. It has been considered to be one of the cheapest means of moving large volumes of goods over long distances.
Why is water transportation cheaper than other modes of transportation?
#1. Operation on a natural track.
Water transportation operates on a natural track. There are no fixed assets such as roads and rails to maintain. This perhaps is the major factor influencing the cost of transporting people and goods by water. To transport goods by land or rail, there has to be road construction and linkage to enable the free movement of vehicles. The same is also applicable to rails because, without a railway, it will be difficult to move the goods by train.
The construction of these roads involves huge capital investment. The high cost, therefore, influences the price of using these channels. However, little or no construction is required for transporting goods on the water unless in the case of a canal.
#2. The cost of operation is relatively low
Water transportation which is ideal for the transportation of bulky goods has a low operational cost. Large vessels are used in conveying goods on water. These vessels can take goods twice the size that can be conveyed by their counterparts on roads, rails, and air. As a result of this, fuel cost is therefore distributed over a large number of products, and less is paid on a general scale for more. Also, the amount required in building the means of transportation is not usually equal to the size of what it would be carrying.
#3. Higher tonnage per crew
To move a 2 20-foot container by truck, you need one person. This gives you a 2:1 ratio. Consequently, to move 100 50-foot (400 TEU) double-stack cars, you will need a two-man crew. This gives you a 200:1 ratio. But for cargo, it is possible to move 14,000 TEU with just a 20-man crew and that is a ratio of 700:1.
In the long run, water transportation will offer a reduced cost of labor when compared with other modes of transportation based on the number of persons required to transport particular tonnes of goods. There is also efficiency in the use of fuel as there are no stopovers to be made and no hills to climb. A ship can stay at a particular speed for days with the engine running efficiently for a long time.
Conclusion
There are different modes of transportation but transportation by water is still considered the cheapest. The choice of the mode of transportation depends so much on the time, money, and nature of the products to be moved.