Methodology: Transit Times, Shipping Costs and Data Sources

This page explains transparently how Freight Academy computes transit times, shipping costs and partner reputation. We document data sources, algorithms, and confidence tiers.

Data sources

Our calculations rely on a combination of official port and airport data (IATA, UN/LOCODE), industry schedules, consolidator cadences and a proprietary lane dataset (> 50,000 verified lanes). All primary sources are reviewed at least quarterly.

Transit time methodology

• For each lane we compute a median (p50) and an 80th percentile (p80) per mode (sea, air, road).
• Multimodal routes are composed from pre-carriage, main leg and on-carriage plus buffers for handling and customs.
• If a lane lacks direct measurements, the algorithm falls back to a heuristic (great-circle distance, mode-typical speed) and marks the route with a reduced confidence score.
• Transit time includes typical export handling, transshipment and import handling times when the option is enabled.

Shipping cost methodology

• Cost indications account for base freight, fuel-based surcharges (BAF), currency surcharges (CAF), security/ISPS levies and typical handling fees.
• The min/max range (Cost Low / Cost High) reflects seasonal, capacity and carrier variance.
• Costs are exclusive of import duties and taxes. Insurance is optional.
• Quotes are sanity-checked against published index rates (SCFI, Drewry, TAC, BDI) at least every 30 days.

Confidence tiers

• A – High accuracy: sufficient verified data, recent measurements.
• B – Good accuracy: sufficient data, some interpolation.
• C – Estimate: data from heuristic, few primary measurements.
• D – Rough orientation: heuristic only, no primary measurement. Do not use for commercial decisions.

Update cadence

Airport and seaport master data quarterly. Transit-time lanes continuously, at a minimum every six months. Cost indications monthly. News content daily to weekly depending on desk.

Editorial standards and fact-checking

Every article goes through a two-editor review. Author profiles with credentials are public. Corrections are versioned on the article page. For press inquiries: press@frachtportal.com.