What Is a Freight Forwarder? | Benefits of Using a Freight Forwarder | Reasons You Need a Freight Forwarder for Global Shipments | Choose Kesco Logistics for Your Freight Forwarding Needs
Transporting goods around the world is one of the most important aspects of a functioning global market. Imports and exports fuel economies and provide the daily necessities people rely on. Every business that participates in global shipping understands the importance of this part of their industry.
If you run a business that ships products all over the country or throughout the world, then you understand how extensive the task of shipping can be. As you consider expanding your market and the demands and implications of getting your products into people’s hands, freight forwarding can be the solution to provide you with the services you need.
What Is a Freight Forwarder?
A freight forwarder is an organization or team of individuals that handle all the complex paperwork and communication between the company sending a product and the product’s final destination. Freight forwarders are not the ones who ship the goods. They’re the ones that provide options for how your goods make it to where they need to go. Modes of transportation available through freight forwarders include sea shipments, air freight services and road transport via trucking.
A freight forwarder helps you complete sales by getting your products into the hands of other businesses around the world. They use their strong ties in the transportation and shipping industry to negotiate the best price to ship your goods and get the job done. Freight forwarders may know the best commercial routes with regular departure times. Or, they may charter the transportation method by considering various offers and choosing a route with the best speed, price and dependability.
Many freight forwarders handle large volumes of shipments from different companies around the world. This makes them a crucial part of a business arrangement known as a “triangular operation.” The three points of a triangular operation include the following:
- The manufacturer: This is the business making the product and looking for a way to ship said product around the nation or even the world.
- The intermediary: This is the freight forwarder. They’re the “in-between” of the transaction, making the shipping process easier for everyone involved.
- The final customer: This is the business that ordered the goods from the manufacturer, either for resale or for their own production purposes.
With a triangular operation, the manufacturer and the final customer can experience an easy shipment process. The manufacturer makes its sale, and the final customer gets the product. The intermediary handles all the complex shipping arrangements that take place between the other two satisfied parties. The process is especially complex when shipping globally, and many manufacturers struggle to make sense of the process. That could leave potential final customers without the goods they need. The triangular operation turns a possible sale into a reality.
Many shipments can take place at the same time on the same vessel, even if they are going to different final customers. This can make the intermediary’s operation complex from a paperwork point of view. As part of a freight forwarding team, a freight broker handles the complicated paperwork and lands the best deal for their clients. The manufacturer experiences a successful shipment, and the final customer enjoys a successful delivery. It’s a picture of a functioning triangular operation in action.
Freight forwarders play an important role in the global economy every day. But they do more than make sure your shipment gets to its final destination. They’re your partner throughout the whole process. Freight forwarders give their client up-to-date information on the status of their shipment. They provide the paperwork you need for your records, and they ensure you’re getting a high-quality, safe shipment at the best price possible. Freight forwarders will help your products get from one location to another.
Benefits of Using a Freight Forwarder
It’s easy to see that a good freight forwarding company can make shipping your products easier than doing it alone. This in itself is a huge benefit to working with one, but the benefits extend far beyond that. If you are considering expanding your market to make more sales and satisfy more customers, you’ll need a freight forwarder to come alongside you to help you achieve this goal.
When you work with a freight forwarder, you’ll experience these game-changing benefits that come with such a partnership.
Have More Time to Spend on Your Products and Business
Working with a freight forwarder means you can spend more time focusing on manufacturing your products and less time on the shipping process. A lot goes into shipping goods, especially when shipping high volume orders over international lines. Handling the ins and outs of shipping your products can be a full-time job in itself.
Your freight forwarder will handle the shipping so you can do what you do best — create an exceptional product for buyers worldwide. They’ll find the best routes for your products and handle all customs operations to make sure your items can cross borders with ease. It’s a lot of work, but your freight forwarder will take care of it for you.
Receive Access to Many Services
When you work with a freight forwarder, you’ll experience more than expert shipping help. You’ll have access to a wide range of services that make the process even more helpful and intuitive for your business. Keep your metrics updated and discover all the available services by working with a freight forwarder.
These extra services include expert advice every step of the way to keep you informed and in the loop. You’ll also experience the peace-of-mind that comes with cargo insurance through your freight forwarder. They’ll work with you to help remedy the situation in the rare event something happens to your freight during transit.
Expand Your Market and Grow Your Business
The goal of every business is to grow. Expanding your market to generate more income for you and your employees is important. The shipping industry and its complicated regulations and rules may seem like a barrier keeping you from achieving this goal. A freight forwarder can help you overcome this obstacle.
By expanding your market with the help of a freight forwarder, you can experience real business growth to take your company to the next level. Think of freight forwarders as the key to unlocking a new door in your business trajectory. Let them handle the shipping side of things, and you can keep up with higher levels of demand for your products.
Receive Up-to-Date Information
Another benefit of working with a freight forwarder is receiving current information on the status of your products. It’s normal to wonder about your products while they’re in transit. You spent a lot of time and money creating them, so you want to make sure they make it to their final destination to fulfill the order.
The right freight forwarder will update you on the status of your shipment every step of the way. Using their tracking technology, they’ll know where your products are at all times. They’ll share this information with you, so you’ll know when your products are expected to reach their final destination. A freight forwarder will help you take the worry out of moving products and give you confidence in the process.
Reasons You Need a Freight Forwarder for Global Shipments
Global shipping is a different task than shipping between states or provinces in a single nation. Global shipping brings with it more complexities and intricacies to balance. Here’s why you should trust a freight forwarder with global shipments.
You Can Ship Globally With Ease
Entering the global market is a much bigger undertaking than shipping within your country of origin. Laws are more predictable within a single nation, but obeying the laws of other nations can be complex — especially when it comes to the movement of goods.
Different laws may apply to your items within the borders of different nations. The last thing you want is to be unable to fulfill an order due to confiscation or pay fines because you were unaware of certain labeling practices. Working with a freight forwarder will help you make sure your orders stay legal throughout the entire shipment. A freight forwarder knows what it takes to move products around the globe, so you can trust them when it comes to shipping yours.
Freight Forwarders Have the Right Connections for the Job
Freight forwarders know who to call and who to trust for international shipping. They have longtime ties with various companies to get the best rates for their services. Skip dealing with unreliable companies for the shipment of your valuable items. Freight forwarders know which movers and haulers can ship your goods in a way you can depend on.
Some Freight Forwarders Specialize in Certain Goods
Another reason you should use a freight forwarder for global shipments is their understanding of specific types of goods. Specialty and organic food products may have different shipping laws than apparel and footwear. Large freight like contract furniture may need different preparations than electronics and information technology (IT) assets. You should choose the right shipping method to match your products.
Many freight forwarders specialize in shipping certain types of goods. They become experts at these shipping methods and know all the laws and procedures that apply to shipping such items. You should find a freight forwarder that is familiar with the goods you produce to enhance your experience and know that your products are safe.
Get Advice Throughout the Whole Process
Another major asset you’ll receive when working with a freight forwarder is expert advice from the start of the process to the moment your shipment reaches its final destination. Freight forwarders will keep you informed so you understand the process and know what to do on your end to ensure a successful shipment. When you’re not sure how to proceed with a step, your freight forwarder is there to help.
Some of the advice your freight forwarder can provide includes:
- Optimizing the costs of transport including charges for freight, special documents and customs clearance expenses.
- Proper packaging and labeling of merchandise.
- Knowing which means of transportation is the best for your shipment and its final destination.
- Paying tariffs.
- Storing your items.
The right freight forwarder will give you more than excellent transportation services. They’ll be a source of invaluable knowledge about the shipping process.
Finding a Freight Forwarder: Price vs. Quality
As you consider all the benefits a freight forwarder can provide for your business, you have to find the right balance between two factors: price and quality.
While selecting the freight forwarder with the lowest price may seem like a great choice for your business budget at first glance, it could prove to be more costly in the long run. Inexpensive freight forwarders may not provide the protection and dependability your products deserve.
Instead, you should choose a freight forwarding company you can trust — one with a proven track record for delivering excellent service and successful shipments. The right freight forwarder has strong connections with shipping companies throughout the global market to ensure safe and high-quality service for your valuable goods.
When you choose a freight forwarder you can trust, you may end up paying a little more, but the slight increase in price translates to a huge increase in customer service and reliability. Don’t leave the shipping of your valuable goods to an inexperienced or unreliable freight forwarding company. Choose one that will give you the professional treatment you deserve and that works with you every step of the way to achieve your shipping goals.
Choose Kesco Logistics for Your Freight Forwarding Needs
Kesco Logistics is the freight forwarding company you can count on for your shipping needs. We’ve been forwarding freight since 1989. Our goal has always been to know our clients by name and provide them with a tailor-made plan that works for them. Freight forwarding is not a “one size fits all” operation, and you deserve a freight forwarder that can get the job done in a way that works for your unique business.
We specialize in shipping apparel and footwear, IT assets, contract furniture and specialty and organic foods. If you want to learn more about how we can forward freight for your business, call our New York location at 516-341-7310. You can also contact us online at your convenience. We look forward to working with you!
