7 Services You Might Expect from a Freight Forwarding Company
When your business begins shipping merchandise to faraway locations, particularly those across international borders, things can get complicated fast. That’s why many businesses choose freight forwarders to coordinate with cargo companies. Together, these services can safely and efficiently get your products where they need to be.
Freight forwarding companies can offer your business numerous services, which is why so many businesses opt for these partnerships. Some of the services you can expect from the best freight forwarders include:
- Tracking: Some forwarding and cargo companies will offer tracking capabilities to your shipments as they travel to their destination. Typically, tracking is only offered to inland domestic shipping, so you’ll need to ask your forwarder about their international tracking policy.
- Handle shipping and exportation documents: Forwarding companies specialize in shipping products, and they do so at a high volume. With this expertise comes the provided benefit of being able to handle all required documentation and procedures of shipping cargo across international borders.
- Warehouse locations: Many freight forwarding companies own their own warehouses in the locations that they service.
- Cargo know-how: When it comes time to ship your product, a freight forwarding service knows when and how to book the necessary space with cargo companies, and which carriers provide the best service in which locations.
- Negotiation tactics: Forwarders ship in volume, so they can often negotiate better shipping prices with the transportation service.
- Consolidation: Rather than sending multiple little packages to your customers, you can consolidate those shipments into one large one when you use a freight forwarder.
- Insurance: Freight forwarders know how and when to file for insurance or an insurance claim, which can give you peace of mind regarding your shipments.
Your shipments can be delivered by sea, rail, ground, or air.
However, because shipping by air shortens the transport time, products have a decreased chance of being damaged and have a higher on-time delivery rate. It’s important to speak with your freight forwarding company to see what types of delivery they can ensure, as well as any other value-added services.
Be sure to place an emphasis on communication when choosing which freight forwarding company to partner with. You want to be able to get in touch with the necessary people to check on your shipments and clarify any questions you may have.
If you need a freight forwarding company in Miami to get your shipments where they need to go, give us a call today.
