by Brian McKay

If you or your business have freight requiring international transport, freight forwarding is the best method to use. Global freight companies will use a range of tools, such as these 3G solutions, to help transport goods, including coordinating your product's movement from one location to another using advanced transport management software, as well as using one or more types of freight carriers such as air freight, railway freight, road freight, and ocean freight. This process can be overwhelming, especially if this is your first time shipping internationally. Review these twelve facts about freight forwarding before moving forward.

1. What is freight forwarding?

Freight forwarding is the movement of goods between two or more destinations. The process is handled by a freight forwarding company that will take care of everything, including storage and the actual shipping. They also serve as the liaison between their customer and the transportation companies, focusing on the best prices and ensuring the most cost- and time-effective route. If you are looking for a freight forwarder, consider exfreight.com.

2. Hassle-free import and export

Retaining the services of a freight forwarder relieves a substantial amount of stress when shipping internationally. They are experts in import and export and will assist with packing and storing and ensure that the customs procedure is smooth and hassle-free. Plus, they may well use something like transportøkonomi (transport economy) software to help manage costs and logistics, meaning they are able to offer you the very best deal possible for their services.

3. Vast range of services

Freight forwarders offer a vast number of benefits to their customers to assist in the delivery portion of the supply chain process. They will help with:

·         Successfully clearing customs because, as we said before, they are the experts and will make the process stress-free.

·         Documentation for international export and import.

·         Insurance

·         Safe and customs-acceptable packing.

·         Safe and proper storage. If climate control is required, the freight forwarders will arrange for it.

·         Expert inventory management.

4. Smart business move

Using a professional to coordinate the movement of your goods provides a significant advantage to your company. The money spent on a freight forwarder is more than offset by the peace of mind that the products will arrive safely and on time at the intended location. Freight shipping offers multiple ways to ship goods, which can help reduce the freight shipping cost and ensure you can choose the best option for the goods you want to ship. 

5. Shipping delays

Global freight forwarders do not have control of situations that might cause delivery delays and, as such, are not responsible. Hazardous weather, vehicle breakdowns, delays in port, and route changes or closures are just a few examples of what might cause an unanticipated delay in delivery. Another benefit of using an international freight forwarding company is that they will do everything possible to solve the problem promptly.

6. Collaborate with the freight forwarder

You are placing a great deal of trust in your freight forwarder. This cargo is your livelihood, and you cannot afford to lose it or have it damaged in transit. Therefore, be careful to choose a company that has a stellar reputation, is reliable, and provides outstanding customer service. Once you have identified the right freight forwarder, maintain a good relationship with them and work collaboratively to accomplish the mission.

7. Up-to-date paperwork

Before you turn your cargo over to the freight forwarder, complete all required transportation documentation. Your representative from the company will help with this. Still, you are ultimately accountable for anything that might occur due to improper paperwork, such as customs or banking issues. Situations like this would be harmful to your business.

8. Restricted products

Global freight forwarding companies cannot and will not ship certain products and substances. These restrictions apply mainly to air or sea freight. Although not all-inclusive, this list includes goods that are generally restricted across the board:

·         Inherently dangerous items such as hazardous or combustible materials, flammable liquid and toxic substances

·         Drugs, including both recreational and prescription

·         Alcoholic beverages

·         Batteries

·         Perishable items except in specific exceptions

·         Live animals

·         Sharp objects

·         Ammunition or explosives

·         Poisons

9. Extra services

Most global freight forwarding companies like Plexus Freight offer additional services such as additional storage, cargo insurance and tracking, and special handling of dangerous goods. You should always ask about the extras when getting the initial quote, and remember they are the experts. So it may be worth a few more dollars to get just the right type and amount of insurance for your items. If you do not need any of the additional coverages offered for your current shipment, make a note of what is available for the next time you ship internationally.

10. Six stages of freight forwarding

There are six key stages in the global freight forwarding process, which include the following items.

·         Export haulage is the movement of a shipment from the source to the global freight forwarder’s warehouse. It is typically accomplished by truck or train, depending on the distance, and can take a few hours to a few weeks.

·         Export customs clearance is the submission of a declaration outlining the shipment contents and its supporting documentation. The licensed freight forwarding company performs export customs clearance.

·         Origin handling is the delivery, inspection, and validation that the shipment matches its official documentation. Upon verification, a cargo dock receipt is issued to the shipper.

·         Import customs clearance occurs when the cargo arrives in its destination country. The goods are declared, including the value, and the customs paperwork is confirmed to be in order.

·         Destination handling consists of several activities that culminate in the unpacking in the import warehouse.

·         Import haulage is the reverse of export haulage. It involves the shipment moving from the import warehouse to its final destination.

11. Documentation

Considerable paperwork is involved in the export process. Once your shipment safely arrives at its destination, the global freight forwarding company should provide you with all the applicable documents. These include the certificate of origin statement, commercial invoice, export license, export packing list, inspection certificate, bill of lading contract, and shippers’ export declaration document. If you do not receive all of these, ask for them. Your official records must include these documents.

12. Freight forwarder’s unique strengths

Reputable, experienced freight forwarders will likely have a strong network of previous customers and contacts. They have also encountered just about any international shipping issue imaginable. These are benefits that will ultimately be a great asset to your company.

If you have a specialized type of cargo to be shipped, be sure to retain a company with specialists and experience in that area. That additional level of expertise will make a difference.

These are a few of the more essential facts regarding global freight forwarding. Please do your homework and pick a company based on its merits, not necessarily the lowest price.