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Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Finding the Right Freight Forwarders



Freight forwarders are able to provide a number of different services regardless of whether you are an individual that requires them or you are booking them on behalf of an organisation. 

They will not only aim to transport your goods as quickly, securely and affordably as possible but will be equipped to deal with customs clearance, export documentation and insurance as required.  Many freight forwarding companies are also able to offer distribution; warehouse, packaging and other supply chain services should you require them.

With so many freight forwarders available to choose from finding and selecting one to manage the transportation of your goods is a big decision.  Like many other aspects of trade doing your research will pay dividends in the long run.

If you are acting on behalf of an organisation there are a number of professional bodies that can help you search for potential freight forwarders. You can either get in touch with your local trade association which should be very familiar with the freight needs of businesses in your sector or you can contact a specific freight-forwarding trade association.  The British International Freight association (BIFA) should be your first port of call if you are searching for UK forwarders and the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Association (FIATA) if you are looking to forward goods overseas.  You can also contact these associations for assistance if you are a domestic client.

When choosing a company it is often a good idea to draw up a shortlist of at least three potential freight forwarders in order to be able to make comparisons.  

When it comes to what questions to ask your potential freight forwarders the most important is probably regarding what experience they have.  This should refer not only to the route that you require but also the type of goods that you are seeking to have transported.

There are of course a lot of other questions that you can ask however the most crucial in helping you to ensure that you are choosing the right company to meet your needs will likely include the following;

  • ·         How long has the company been operating for and how well established are they
  • ·         Are they able to explain the actual freight forwarding process to you
  • ·         What other ancillary services are they able to provide and what are the associated costs
  • ·         What are the overall costs for their services

Not only will these questions enable you to get a feel for the company as a whole and the way in which it works but it will also provide you with some insight if this is the first time that you have ever needed to book this type of service.

You will however need to bear in mind though that when asking them to provide costs for both the various different services and their services as a whole that the figures will be just a guideline.  They will only be able to provide you with a precise quotation once you provide them with your exact requirements.

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