{"id":3965,"date":"2014-02-25T15:16:56","date_gmt":"2014-02-25T21:16:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/midamericafreight.org\/?page_id=3965"},"modified":"2014-02-25T15:16:56","modified_gmt":"2014-02-25T21:16:56","slug":"infrastructure","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.midamericafreight.org\/index.php\/rfs\/network-inventory\/aviation\/infrastructure\/","title":{"rendered":"Infrastructure"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are two primary types of planes that transport air cargo freight: freighter jets (or simply called freighters) and passenger planes. Freighters are designed for cargo flight and usually have specific features that differentiate them from conventional passenger aircraft. Some of these specific features include a tall and wide fuselage cross-section, a high-wing to allow the cargo to sit near the ground, a large number of wheels to allow it to land at unprepared locations, and a high-mounted tail to allow cargo to be driven directly into and off the aircraft. It is fairly common, however, for passenger airplanes to be converted to freighters after being deemed \u201cuncompetitive\u201d due to several years of use or when airlines adapt to more fuel-efficient fleet technologies.
\nAmongst the freighter category are three primary body styles. The first is a large body<\/em> , which carries freight that is less than 45 tons.<\/p>\n

Figure 1: Large Body Freighter<\/h4>\n

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\nThe second is a medium wide-body<\/em> carrying between 45-75 tons. The final category is a large wide-body<\/em> that is used for freight more than 75 tons.<\/p>\n

Figure 2: Large Wide-Body Freighter<\/h4>\n

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\nIn addition there are three major market segments: express, airfreight, and mail. Express freight can be summarized as freight that is non-scheduled and must get from point A to point B as soon as possible. Airfreight refers to cargo that is shipped on scheduled flights. Mail is primarily services for postal companies, composed of letters and small packages.
\nThere are five categories of air cargo providers:<\/p>\n