13 Things You Need to Know About Freight Forwarding

 In Air Freight, customs, customs clearance, Freight Forwarder, freight forwarders, importing, International Shipping, International Shipping Company, ocean freight, ocean shipping, shippers, shipping, shipping companies

This is a Guest Post by John Stuart of the International Logistics Centre

International Shipping Cargo Ship Freight ForwarderFreight forwarding is one of the most widely used methods of international transport for both business and personal use. Freight forwarding companies, like Universal Cargo and the International Logistics Centre, coordinate the shipment of goods from one destination to another using a range of carriers, including air freight, ocean freight, road freight and, in some cases, railway freight.

The process of freight forwarding might seem daunting, especially if you’re not familiar with the process of freight shipping, but these thirteen facts you need to know about freight forwarding will help you through the process.

1. What is a freight forwarder?

A freight forwarder is responsible for the transportation of goods between one destination and another. Freight forwarding companies specialise in arranging the whole process for their shippers, from the storage to the shipping of their merchandise. They act as an intermediary between the shipper and transportation services, liaising with various carriers to negotiate on price and decide on the most economical, reliable and fastest route.

2. A hassle-free way to import and export goods.

Using a freight forwarder to import and export goods can make the whole process much less stressful. Extremely knowledgeable in the elements of supply chain, freight forwarders can assist on all levels, from the packing and warehouse stages to the customs procedure, taking some of the pressure off you.

3. Freight forwarders provide a range of services.

Freight forwarders can assist with the supply chain process on multiple levels including:

  • Customs Clearance
  • International export and import documentation
  • Insurance
  • Packing
  • Storage
  • Inventory management

4. Advantageous to your business.

Using a freight forwarding company for the transportation of goods to your consumer can be advantageous to your business in many ways. Using their knowledge and expertise, freight forwarders will ensure that your goods will arrive at the correct destination on time and save you money in the process, compared to doing it alone.

5. They are not responsible for shipping delays.

Freight forwarding companies are not responsible for delays in shipping. These delays often occur due to bad weather, breakdown, port delays or unforeseen route changes. Although shipping delays can be frustrating, it is important to remember that it is out of your freight forwarding company’s hands and that they’re trying to resolve it as quickly as possible.

6. It’s important to maintain a good relationship with your freight forwarder.

Your freight forwarder is in charge of your precious cargo, so it’s important that you establish a good working relationship with them. You want to ensure that you choose a company that you can trust and rely on, as well as one with impeccable customer service to ensure that your cargo shipments arrive safely and on time.

7. You need to make sure your paperwork is up to date.

Before leaving your goods in the hands of your freight forwarder, you need to ensure that all of the paperwork for transporting your goods is completed. Your freight company will be able to help you with this, but it’s an incredibly important step to reduce the risk of your items not being released from customs or the bank refusing to release your funds – neither of which would be beneficial to your business.

8. Shipping restrictions apply to certain products.

Freight forwarding companies adhere to strict regulations and will not carry certain goods and substances, particularly by air or sea freight. Although the list of prohibited items varies from country to country, freight forwarders are generally restricted on:

  • Dangerous Goods (including flammable liquid and toxic items)
  • Drugs (prescription and recreational)
  • Alcohol
  • Batteries
  • Perishable items (except for those on special express delivery)
  • Sharp objects

9. Ask your freight forwarding company about extra services.

Many freight forwarding companies offer extra services for your shipment, so it’s always worth asking them when receiving a quote. These extra services include warehouse storage, cargo insurance, cargo tracking and dangerous goods handling. Even if you don’t require them, it’s always worth bearing these additional services in mind for future reference.

10. There are six key stages of freight forwarding.

The freight forwarding process can be broken up into six key stages, including:

  • Export haulage – the transfer of goods from its original source to the freight forwarder’s warehouse.
  • Export customs clearance – the goods receive clearance to leave its country of origin.
  • Origin handling – the unloading, inspection and validation of the cargo against its booking documents.
  • Import customs clearance – the customs paperwork for your cargo will be checked by the authorities.
  • Destination handling – the handling of cargo once it reaches the destination office, including transfer to the import warehouse.
  • Import haulage – the transfer of cargo from the import warehouse to its final destination.

11. Your freight forwarder should provide you with a range of documents.

With freight forwarding comes a lot of paperwork, especially when shipping overseas. Your freight forwarder should provide you with all of the relevant documents, including:

  • Commercial invoice
  • Bill of Lading contract
  • Certificate of origin statement
  • Inspection certificate
  • Export license
  • Export packing list
  • Shippers export declaration document

It’s essential that all of these documents are provided in order to ensure that your goods reach your customer without any issues arising.

12. The strength of a freight forwarders’ network is vital.

Well-established freight forwarders will have an incredibly strong network of contacts and experience in the business. Not only will this help you to get the best price for shipping your cargo, but it will also ensure that your goods arrive in a timely manner. Experienced freight forwarders will have encountered a multitude of problems along the way, so they’ll be able to quickly and efficiently deal with any issues which may arise as your goods are transported.

13. Does your freight forwarder specialise in a particular cargo type?

Some freight forwarders focus on a specific type of cargo, whereas some other companies accept a variety of goods. Finding a freight forwarder who specialises in what you’re looking to ship is beneficial. Not only will they have a team of specialists in place, but they will also have vast experience in dealing with cargo similar to yours.

Doing your research before choosing a logistics company will ensure that your goods get to their final destination in a timely, cost-effective manner.

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About the author:

John Stuart works on behalf of internationallogisticscentre.com in outreach and content creation. He creates engaging content that helps businesses connect with their audience and stand out from the crowd.

The International Logistics Centre is a family-run freight forwarding business in the UK. They are passionate about providing their customers with a first-rate service from start to finish. From their skilled drivers to their experienced office staff – the International Logistics Centre will provide you with the best service, no matter what you require.

Showing 26 comments
  • Prasad Gosavi
    Reply

    Thanks for share very goods and Important Information.

  • Najma Qureshi
    Reply

    Destination handling is a process made up of a number of different activities that are performed at the destination office of the freight forwarder. This process involves receiving the documents from the freight forwarders office or agent at the origin, including checking any documents and submitting the carrier bill etc.

  • Sharon Wilson-Smiths
    Reply

    You got my attention when you said that the transportation of goods from one place to another is can be handled by a freight forwarder using the reliable and fastest route. My husband and I are planning to ship a box of goods for our son who’s in a different country. We’d like to make sure that he will receive our package as soon as possible, so we’ll be sure to find the best freight forwarder.

    • J. Fisher
      Reply

      if your box is under ~70# and certain dimensions typical of a standard cardboard box, it would likely be considered a “parcel” and you would want to use a parcel service such as UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc., opposed to a freight service.

  • Andrew Thomas
    Reply

    This is a good heads up to know about the freight forwarding.

  • Jenny Lucas
    Reply

    This article is very informative and encouraging for every person to start their own freight forwarders boc 3 work. Good and keep it up.

  • Sourabh Singh
    Reply

    Nice informative post to highlight the importance of freight forwarders. Freight forwarders are important aspect of logistic sector. Thanks for sharing

  • Logitude World
    Reply

    Very well curated and detailed piece of information. This info would be very helpful for the beginners in freight forwarding industry.

  • tony
    Reply

    paper helps us who need export info very much.Thanks

  • CargoShipping
    Reply

    Very informative post. Its explains the basics of freight forwarding in a really nice way. Thanks for sharing this!

  • Ali
    Reply

    This is very helpful information for the beginners in Freight forwarding, at least we got a basic knowledge of shipping procedure

  • Stephen
    Reply

    Wonderful information.

  • Quynh
    Reply

    very informative post. quick question though. would freight forwarder handle VAT as well?

  • Leutnat Misana
    Reply

    Very organized and simplified notes for freigth and forwarding process

  • Thomas Ogolla
    Reply

    A simplified and well penned summary of the basics of freight forwarding process

  • Taylor Bishop
    Reply

    Thanks for helping me learn more about freight forwarding. it’s nice to know that the freight forwarder should be able to provide you with all the right documents. This sounds really important especially if more documents are needed the father it needs to be taken.

  • Dennis Sanchez
    Reply

    I thought it was interesting that you mentioned that certain products have certain shipping restrictions. If I remember correctly, there are some businesses that ship hot and cold food products. I can only imagine the kind of restrictions that are on shipping food.

  • PAUL
    Reply

    Great piece. Any difference between a freight forwarder and a third party logistician?

  • PAUL
    Reply

    Meant Fourth party Logistician?

  • Lloyd Bronson
    Reply

    I’ll be sure to use transportation services when the time comes. I am glad that your article mentions that using one of these service providers will ensure that the consumer gets their goods on time. My brother and I are looking into manufacturing premade meals so we want to ensure that our customers can get them on time.

  • Dawn
    Reply

    QUESTION:

    I’m trying to order about 2000 t-shirts, and Miami is the closes port to deliver from overseas. Once my shirts arrive, I need to figure out how to get them from Miami to NW Florida. Would a Freight Forwarder be able to assist me with that?

  • Dwayne Billshaw
    Reply

    Great piece. Freight forwarding is a fascinating industry, particularly when you read about how the technological advances are impacting everything (for the better).

  • Haulystic
    Reply

    Nice explanation about freight forward. Keep sharing such great information with us.

  • James Morrison
    Reply

    Thanks for the article. It’s very to find a best company for freight forwaring.

  • Idokoja Solomon
    Reply

    Am a freight forwarder,nice article,is an article to every person in logistics process

  • Oliver Martinez
    Reply

    Many important points read, honestly I wasn’t aware oh that, excellent information provided.

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