To put it simply, freight is a subset of shipping. It's specifically about large-scale, typically road-based transportation of goods. Shipping, however, is the broader term that covers all methods and scales of moving goods.

Freight shipping is the process of transporting commodities, goods and cargo by land, sea or air. Common types of freight shipping over the road include truckload, less than truckload (LTL) and intermodal. Freight itself can be defined as the goods transported by truck, train, ship or plane.

The transfer of the goods from the shipper's premises to the forwarder's origin warehouse is called export haulage. It is typically by means of truck or a combination of truck and train, and typically takes from a few hours to weeks, depending on distance and geography.