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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