Thursday, March 15, 2018

Tips On Choosing Freight Forwarding Companies

By Michael Scott


For people that are established exporters, they are well versed with the fact that selection of a reliable freight forwarding firm can be a very tough decision. This is because you need to be certain your goods are being transported by a reputable organization. It is even tougher for people that are seeking to use the services for the very first time. The selection of freight forwarding companies is a decision that requires lots of thought.

Experience is one of the things that you will be looking at. Years of experience means that the company should have dealt with different situations such as port shutdowns and dockworkers strikes. There could also be the need to reroute the cargo and sort out custom issues. All these are issues that the preferred service provider should be able to handle. Experience will mean the company is able to make you avoid warehousing, customs and routing issues before they start.

You should ask about the network agents of the company and also their partners in the countries of concern. This is as regards either imports or exports. This will come in handy when dealing with international shipments. The forwarder should ideally have a strong network all over the world. They should be connected in the countries of origin of the goods as well as their destination. This is extremely important because some freight companies have the experience but without the right networks.

Customers are advised to check the services that are offered by the particular company. The service provider chosen should be able to handle the various types of shipping, ranging from air to ocean shipping. In addition, they need to be versed with trucking and rail transport. However, the most important thing is to get a service provider offering the specific services you require. Cargo tracking and insurance are critical.

The company needs to have good references. This involves considering the customers that they have served in the past. The best companies will have testimonial pages where you can check for references. There is also the option of calling their previous customers to find out the kind of service delivery they experienced.

Customer service is such a critical consideration. The company should be able to get back to clients as fast as possible regarding any queries such as rates that are charged. When working with new customers, the company staff should take them through all the details required and what they can expect. This is so that they are certain all goes well. Good customer service ensures clients have peace of mind as regards their expectations.

The rate of the services offered will be crucial also. The different firms will charge differently and it is important to make comparisons. It is not necessarily the case that you will go for the cheapest. As a matter of fact, the most experienced and reputable firms are likely to charge more for their services.

The freight forwarder should be in good financial position. This is the reason one should check for bonding. They are required to obtain freight broker bonds before they are certified to operate.




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