Billions of tonnes of freight are transported around the world each year. If your business regularly exports to customers abroad, understanding how freight forwarding services work is essential.
At the very least you need to understand how freight is transported, the documentation required, what the costs are, and which is the best method for your business needs.
What is a Freight Forwarder?
There are a lot of logistics involved in moving a piece of freight from one location to another. There’s export documentation that needs to be filled out including important things like a Bill of Lading and Certificate of Origin. On top of that, you need to decide if your freight is going to be transported by road, air or sea or a mixture of these methods.
You need to do all this and still streamline everything so that your freight is transported safely but in the most cost-effective way.
The job of a freight forwarder is to handle all this for you. They can advise on the best method of transportation and most offer a variety of services which means you don’t have to worry about organising the key parts yourself.
Finding the Right Freight Forwarding Company for Your Business
There are a lot of different freight forwarding companies out there and finding the best fit for your business is going to be the first major challenge. That is why it’s important to understand how these companies work and what kinds of services they offer.
A great freight forwarder like Equator Worldwide will help you get your freight to the right place in the most appropriate way for your needs. When looking for a freight forwarder, do your due diligence, check reviews and shop around for the best deals. Above all, understand what you need and the service you want to be delivered.
Some freight forwarders specialise in transporting goods to certain areas of the world such as South America or China so your choice will also depend on your where your market is placed. If you have a range of markets, you may need to use several different freight forwarding companies, something which can make things a little more complicated.
Making a Freight Forwarding Wish List
The first step after learning how freight forwarding works is to list the things that you want your service to do for you. This could, for example, include picking up your freight from a local supplier in the UK. You may have time-sensitive deliveries and need a competitively costed air freight service. There may be a range of documentation that you want the freight forwarding company to handle for you.
Of course, these companies charge for their services and you might reasonably want to explore how doing some things yourself can save on shipping costs. A lot is going to depend on the type of freight you have, how often you have shipping requirements and whether you need to use more than one service.
Finally, once you have your wish list, it pays to take your time reviewing and selecting the right company that meets your needs. A little due diligence will save you money in transportation costs and streamline the complicated logistics involved in getting your freight from A to B.