HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT FREIGHT FORWARDER ?

When it comes to international freight forwarding and transportation, selecting the right freight forwarder is like choosing the right supplier, vendor or accountant; you are choosing a partner that will help your business succeed. Your freight forwarder should be a trusted partner for your logistics needs, that is, if they are doing their job right. In this fast-changing world which is highly reliant on supply chain optimization, cost efficiency, timeliness, and consistent service, shippers, importer, exporters and others involved in the supply chain must make a determination on which freight forwarder to select for their international and domestic logistic needs. 

Know What You Need

This may seem like an obvious statement, but it is something that bears mentioning because if it is ignored, a good experience with your freight forwarder will be down to blind luck. In business, one should limit reliance on luck. Knowing what you need from freight forwarding comes down to knowing the specific services that your product requires in order to arrive in one piece, and the relevant risks that may need to be insured against. 

What to Look For: Experience Counts

As you research and compare freight forwarders, note the company’s experience.  Experience is one of the most significant differentiating factors, and a company with higher level experience will be best for you. More experience tends to mean larger networks, which are essential for freight forwarders. More experience also means that the forwarder has, for the most part, been able to deal with many problems over their tenure of existence and should be better equipped to deal with future problems. Freight forwarders that have been around for a while are also much more likely to be registered with all the necessary government agencies.

Reputable Freight Forwarders

One of the best ways to ensure that your freight forwarder is experienced, good at their job, and offers fair prices is that they have a good reputation among their other clients, and also serve many clients

Are You Looking First And Foremost For A Great Price?

Most forwarders will claim to provide superior service, but they are all aware that winning a new customer generally comes down to price.

However, making a decision on price alone can be deceiving. For instance, some forwarders discount the first shipment to win the sale but make up for it with on subsequent shipments. Also, some forwarders hide charges in the terms and conditions to make their quote price look more attractive than those from more honest competitors.

Many larger forwarders are also 3PLs (third party logistics providers) who specialize in providing broader support (contract logistics) for their customers. They can provide useful services for importers, like superior shipment tracking and warehousing. The tradeoff, of course, is likely to be on price.

But service isn’t just about breath it’s also about quality. Good old-fashioned customer service. Freight forwarding takes a lot of coordinating. Airlines, ocean carriers and especially customs agents aren’t forgiving of incorrect, incomplete or late paperwork. If your forwarder isn’t on top of your shipment, it risks being delayed and incurring unnecessary additional charges.

As a logistics service provider, your forwarder should communicate regularly and transparently with you. If you wait a week to get a freight quote before shipping, that might be a good indication that you could be waiting to get status updates on delayed cargo. A good forwarder will provide status updates, quickly alert you of any problem, and just as quickly work to resolve them.