What To Look For In A Good Freight Forwarding Company
Suppose you are moving to a new city, and you want to make sure everything is packed up and shipped. You need a trustworthy company to take care of the logistics. How do you find one?
What Exactly is Freight Forwarding?
Freight forwarding is the process of taking goods from one place to another, regardless of their size, weight, or shape. These commodities can be in containers, on pallets, or any other configuration.
In essence, a freight forwarding company is a trader of goods. They are brokers that specialize in things like commodity trade, shipping and transportation. Almost anyone can become a freight forwarder. However, some countries may require licensing and registration with their respective government agencies. Every business has to start somewhere. If you want to open your own freight forwarding company one day, then you need to start from the bottom up by getting your hands dirty in the industry first and gaining plenty of experience in this field prior to actually making it big on your own. One of the easiest ways for you to get such experience is by looking for an overseas freight forwarder job .
What to Look For in a Good Freight Forwarding Company
With that said, here are some things you have to look out for in a freight forwarding company.
Do they have sufficient experience? – As I mentioned earlier, there's no such thing as too much experience. A company that has been around for many years possesses both the practical and theoretical aspects of this industry. Their knowledge of this field can be compared to that of a veteran bricklayer who knows his way around mortar, brick, and concrete. The more seasoned they are, the better it is for their clients.
Potential conflicts of interest – Freight forwarding companies are often required to handle goods that are banned or restricted by a government. And obviously, not every client is good. If an individual is immoral and dishonest, then expect the whole company to be tainted by that single bad apple. Avoid any company who promises you a job without any kind of reference. Not only can this be extremely risky for your personal safety but it could also cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in compensation fees if you end up becoming a victim of fraud at the hands of this company.
Insurance policies – Freight forwarders are usually required to comply with government regulations regarding insurance. Covered losses usually include the physical loss or damage of goods in transit. However, the law may be different depending on the country.
Discounts – Freight forwarding companies can offer their clients various discounts, like a flat-rate fee per package without any additional charges. There are also special deals for long-haul packages and larger shipments. That's why it's always a good idea to find freight forwarders that can offer you competitive rates and terms that work well for you.
Customized secure packaging – Some clients are too busy or do not know enough to prepare their own secure packaging for shipping their goods abroad. They often prefer this kind of customization because they do not have enough time or experience to do it themselves. For that reason, it's always a good idea to find freight forwarders who are well-versed and experienced in this field.
Free cross-docking – Many companies offer free cross-docking, which allows their clients to unload and load their goods at their own convenience. This is especially useful for people who live in certain areas where the ports are located. A good freight forwarder should be able to help you with free or discounted cross-docking services whenever necessary.
International Shipments – Freight forwarders usually provide international transport services for their clients, even overseas shipment . They often provide their services to global exporters and importers. If you're one of those people who is interested in selling or buying your goods abroad, then you can contact a freight forwarder to safely transport your goods from source to destination.
Good reputation – As I said earlier, freight forwarders are in the business of taking care of things for other people. They help their clients move and ship goods to different locations. With that said, it's always a good idea to find freight forwarding companies that are well-known in their respective industries. Your first step should be checking out their reviews online or asking the company directly if they have any awards or commendations under their belt.
What are the Things You Should Know About Freight Forwarding?
This industry is evolving at an exponential pace. And as such, learning the ins and outs of this particular trade can prove to be extremely valuable. If you want to go forward with your career as a freight forwarder, then you have to make sure that you're ahead of the game. To help you do just that, here are some of the things that you need to know about this industry:
Transportation – Freight forwarding is a business of transporting goods from one place to another. This means that it involves all kinds of logistics. That's why it's important for freight forwarders to understand how their clients usually transport their goods. You have to understand that some companies don't use the same kind of transportation for their clients' goods. Someone might be shipping their merchandise by air whereas another company specializes in special sea freight shipping. There are also companies that focus on road transport, which often includes trucking as well as rail transport.
Pricing – Freight forwarding is a business of moving goods from one place to another, and as such, they are subject to certain pricing benchmarks. They can adjust the prices according to client requests but they are mostly bound by certain rules regarding pricing. However, there are services that can still help you save money on freight forwarding (such as freight consolidators) even if you don't have much of a budget.
Conclusion
So, this concludes my in-depth guide to freight forwarding. I hope that it was at least somewhat useful for you. If so, then please share this post with your friends and colleagues who might find it useful as well. As always, thank you for reading and have a nice day!
Mike Mike is an industrial logistics analyst with over 15 years of experience in this sector. He has written several articles related to the subject matter and has interviewed many freight forwarding professionals as well. He started his career in 2011 when he worked as a logistic analyst at a shipping company before starting his freelancing career.