Questions to Define Your Need Before Contacting A Freight Forwarding Company

Questions to Define Your Need Before Contacting A Freight Forwarding Company

When it involves freight forwarding and third party logistics (3PL), choosing the right logistics service provider is no different than choosing the right supplier or your own employees for your company; you are selecting a partner that can help your business succeed. The business that you will choose should be a reliable partner for your logistics needs, and should have good track record in providing the best freight forwarding services. In this fast-changing world that is highly dependent on supply chain optimization, cost efficiency, timeliness, and unvarying service, shippers, importer, exporters and others mixed up in supply chain must make an assurance on which freight forwarding company to choose because of their logistic needs.

In choosing the right forwarding company for your business, how big is your company should not fix upon the size of your freight forwarder (a combination of volume shipped, revenues and # of employees are the way the size of one's freight forwarder is defined). You can find large companies that chose small freight forwarders for his or her business together with small companies that chose to have large freight forwarders. Therefore, there are many other questions that must be answered and other point of comparison that should be analyzed to summarize which freight forwarding company is right for you personally and your company.


Here are a few questions that you need to answer so you might know which freight forwarding company to choose:

1. What mode of service do I want? Do I want port to port, port to door, door to port, or door to door services?

2. What is the foundation address of the cargo, what's the final destination?

3. While you are having international freight forwarding, consider What are my international commercial terms with my supplier or my buyer? At what point does my responsibility and liability of the cargo begin or end?

4. What is the size/weight/dimensions/value of my cargo? What is the value? Is my shipment considered oversized or out of gauge?

5. According to the mode of transport that you will be needing: what size ocean container, what volume of air cargo, or size domestic cargo am i going to be shipping?

6. How is my cargo packaged? Do I want additional packing or loading services?

7. Is my cargo considered hazardous? If so, do I have the material safety data sheet, that is required by my freight forwarder?

8. Is there any sort of import or export license required for the import or export of my cargo with regards to the commodity and ultimate destination of the cargo? If that's  https://drssamedaycouriers.com.au/same-day-courier-sydney-to-canberra/ , do I understand how to make an application for that license?

9. AM I GOING TO need any special services such as: documentary services such as document attestation or legalization services, drop and pull of a container (container left overnight at supplier), customs clearance and duties paid, CBP/FDA/USDA exam processing, in-bond entry, commodity classification (HTS codes), fish & wildlife license, prior notice, annual bond for imports, consolidation of cargo, deconsolidation or any type of additional service?

10. If cargo will go to a fulfillment center such as for example Amazon.com, will I need additional repacking services, labeling, pick and pack or other service necessary to deliver to Amazon.com fulfillment centers?

11. AM I GOING TO ship my cargo in an ocean container, RORO vessel, breakbulk vessel, airplane, truck, barge, rail or other mode of transport? Will I need intermodal services that provide a variety of these services?

For additional insights, in selecting a freight forwarding company, it's also advisable to check that the business your choosing is certified, when you are around the middle east, you need to look for NAFL member or a FIATA member.