Freight Forwarding

Freight Forwarding

What does a freight forwarder actually do?

There is a lot that goes into arranging your international shipping. While the freight forwarder handles the details of your international shipping, it is important to know what a freight forwarder does not do in order to understand what a freight forwarder actually does.

A freight forwarder does not actually move your freight itself.

The freight forwarder acts as an intermediary between a shipper and various transportation services such as ocean shipping on cargo ships, trucking, expedited shipping by air freight, and moving goods by rail.

A freight forwarding service utilizes established relationships with carriers, from air freighters and trucking companies, to rail freighters and ocean liners, in order to negotiate the best possible price to move shippers’ goods along the most economical route by working out various bids and choosing the one that best balances speed, cost, and reliability.

Freight forwarders handle the considerable logistics of shipping goods from one international destination to another, a task that would otherwise be a formidable burden for their client.

Why should I use a freight forwarder?

A good freight forwarding service can save you untold time and potential headaches while providing reliable transportation of products at competitive rates.

A freight forwarder is an asset to almost any company dealing in international transportation of goods, and is especially helpful when in-house resources are not versed in international shipping procedures.

There are many advantages to using a freight forwarder. Here are a few listed:

  • A Freight Forwarder handles ancillary services that are part of the international shipping business
    • Insurance
    • Customs Documentation
    • etc…
  • A Freight Forwarder provides to consolidators as well as individual shippers:
    • Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier documentation
    • Bills of Lading
    • Warehousing
    • Risk Assessment and Management
    • Methods of International Payment
    • etc…
  • A Freight Forwarder insists on personal communication and great customer service.