How to Choose a Freight Forwarder
Whether you’re a large company shipping many products internationally or a small business looking to make their first international shipment, deciding on the right freight forwarding company for you is a vital part of the success of your shipment. Ensuring the smooth transit of your goods is an important investment of your company’s time and money and it is worth researching freight forwarding companies to ensure that you pick the right company for the job.
What is a Freight Forwarder?
A freight forwarder assists companies in the process of transporting goods from one place to another. They use the most cost-effective methods with a suitable shipping company to ensure that every point of the journey goes smoothly.
Supreme Freight forwarders contract with a number of companies covering sea, air or road to transport goods on behalf of their clients. Although some freight forwarders have their own warehouses and vehicles, they aren’t necessarily the ones to carry out the transportation. Usually, they are the experts that are able to lead on the logistics and arrangements that will enable a smooth process giving companies piece of mind that their goods will be delivered.
Freight forwarders are seen as a necessary extension to many businesses. Mistakes made in shipping processes can be costly and delay goods getting to the places they need to go.
The wealth of knowledge and expertise they have on the process of importing and exporting is invaluable to companies and saves them both time and money. Even large Beneficial Cargo Owners such as Marks and Spencer work with freight forwarders in parts of their businesses. They are seen as a necessity and even regarded to some as an outsourced shipping department.
Important Questions When Finding a Freight Forwarder
With the freight forwarding Industry growing at an increasing rate, there is a lot of options for businesses to choose from. Many of these options will have varying experience levels and offer different services. It is important for companies to consider exactly what it is they want their freight forwarding company to do for them and to trust that this will be done correctly. With this in mind, it may benefit businesses to find out the following information when looking for a reputable freight forwarder:
Accreditation – Trustworthy firms such as Supreme belong to at least one trade association such as the British International Freight Association (BIFA). Members of BIFA trade to a collective set of trading standards that are backed by the insurance sector. Going with a company that is a member of one of these trade associations will give you peace of mind that your goods will be in the right hands.
Clarification of Services Offered – Different shipments require different services. It is important that you clarify with your potential freight forwarder that your goods will be transported the way that you require them to be. If you are unsure of the services that you will need it may be helpful to ask other businesses for advice. A good freight forwarder will give you a run down of the services that they offer and will be able to advise on the best course of action for your shipment.
Experience - Freight forwarding is a complicated and intricate business. Experience in the industry is key to ensure that everything runs smoothly. It may be even more pertinent to ask about experience if you are transporting cargo that requires additional needs such as specialist transport.
Shipping Process – A good freight forwarder should give you a run down of their shipping process with a clear explanation of how your shipment will reach its final destination, costs and transport plans.
Insurance – Checking a freight forwarder’s insurance policy is imperative. It is important to ensure that your goods will be insured for all of their journey, particularly if they are of high value.
Paperwork – It is important to know upfront what is expected of you and what the freight forwarder will handle in terms of paperwork, particularly with regards to customs. Mistakes with customs paperwork can lead to long and expensive delays.
Shipping Network – Good freight forwarding companies will have an extensive shipping network. An extensive network means good relationships with partners and demonstrates that they have local expertise in the places that you want to ship to. It is important to check that your destination is a place that they cover.
What are the Advantages of using Supreme Freight Forwarder?
The main benefits of a freight forwarder include
• The transportation of goods can be a logistical nightmare especially when you are dealing with importing or exporting to countries that you have not dealt with before. Different countries have different customs regulations, shipping restrictions and fees and a mistake could not only be costly in terms of fines but could delay your shipment reaching its destination and have a dramatic impact on your business. It’s important that companies get this right first time and the only way to do that is working with somebody that has had previous experience with the logistical side. Not only will this save you a lot of time, freight forwarders provide you with the peace of mind that your shipments will arrive in the desired place, in the desired time in a method that meets your needs and is cost-effective.
• Freight forwarders that have a lot of experience working with the same shipping companies on an international level are going to have a lot more leverage over buying costs than a company that they have never heard of using them for the first time. There is always a deal to be had and shipping companies know that if they strike a deal with a freight forwarder there’s a potential for a lot more business to come their way.
• With the logistical side of shipping being taken care of externally, business owners have the time to focus their time and efforts on other parts of the business that require their attention. If importing and exporting goods is something that is happening quite regularly this could result in a significant increase in productivity.
• As a company that deals with freight services all the time, freight forwarders are going to have gained a lot of contacts and experience that will be invaluable to companies with different needs. This knowledge and expertise will ensure that freight forwarders will be able to tailor their services to your specific requirements.
• Working with a freight forwarder can open opportunities to businesses they didn’t know were possible. With extensive knowledge of the different markets internationally, it could see your business being taken to places you had only dreamed of.
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