Editing Cargo (section)

==== Shipment categories ====
{{citation needed span|text=Freight is usually organized into various shipment categories before it is transported. An item's category is determined by:|date=November 2016}}
* the type of item being carried. For example, a kettle could fit into the category 'household goods'.
* how large the shipment is, in terms of both item size and quantity.
* how long the item for delivery will be in transit.

{{citation needed span|text=Shipments are typically categorized as household goods, express, parcel, and freight shipments:|date=November 2016}}
* ''[[Household goods]] (HHG)'' include furniture, art and similar items.
* ''Express:'' Very small business or personal items like envelopes are considered ''overnight express'' or ''express letter shipments''. These shipments are rarely over a few kilograms or pounds and almost always travel in the carrier's own [[packaging]]. Express shipments almost always travel some distance by air. An envelope may go coast to coast in the United States overnight or it may take several days, depending on the service options and prices chosen by the shipper.
* ''Parcel:'' Larger items like small boxes are considered ''parcels'' or ''ground shipments''. These shipments are rarely over {{cvt|50|kg|lb|0}}, with no single piece of the shipment weighing more than about {{cvt|70|kg|lb|0}}. Parcel shipments are always boxed, sometimes in the shipper's packaging and sometimes in carrier-provided packaging. Service levels are again variable but most ground shipments will move about {{cvt|800|to|1100|km|mi|0}} per day. Depending on the package's origin, it can travel from coast to coast in the United States in about four days. Parcel shipments rarely travel by air and typically move via road and rail. Parcels represent the majority of business-to-consumer (B2C) shipments.
* ''Freight:'' Beyond HHG, express, and parcel shipments, movements are termed ''freight shipments''.