What Do Freight Forwarding Companies Do?

Freight forwarding companies are a popular solution for managing the transport of items across international borders. They are there to help manage the shipment of items between destinations. They deal with air, ocean and road transport and even railway transport of goods on some occasions. Working with freight forwarding companies can seem a little bit daunting, but they are experts at what they do so it’s well worth it.

What are freight forwarding companies?

Freight forwarding companies are basically responsible for coordinating the movement of goods across countries. These businesses manage the entire process from start to finish from storing items to shipping them. They are there to act as an intermediate party between shipping businesses and transport services. They are often responsible for liaising with a number of different transport carriers and are great at freight forwarding companies that can often organize more economical shipping.

An easy way too important export items

Working with freight forwarding companies is often considered to be one of the easiest ways to easily import and export items in and out of the country. They have a lot of knowledge and experience in dealing with every part of the supply chain and can use the expertise to make the process simple. If you want to smoothly deal with customs and shipping across overseas borders is unfamiliar to you, then this can be a great solution.

They provide a range of services

Freight forwarding companies can help you by providing a large range of services including helping you out with customs clearances, documentation for importing and exporting goods, insurances, packing of goods, storage and inventory management.

Great for businesses

This is a great option for businesses that are looking to simplify their supply chain processes. They can help you get your goods delivered to your customers and can use their knowledge of import/export procedures to ensure that items arrive in the correct destination as quickly and smoothly as possible.

They can’t fix shipping delays

Worker of a freight forwarding company

It’s important to remember that they are an intermediary third-party. They can’t fix shipping problems and are not responsible for unforeseen delays that can happen to bad weather or other unexpected reasons.

Shipping restrictions sometimes apply

You should remember that some items cannot be shipped or carry some restrictions. Items that are flammable or potentially toxic can’t be sent in the post, neither can drugs or alcohol and batteries are usually allowed. Perishable items are usually required to be sent by special delivery and sharp items should be avoided.

Extra services

Some freight forwarding companies will offer additional services on top of their normal activities. If you have any need for warehouse storage, handling of dangerous goods, or tracking of items then it might be worth speaking to them to find out what they can do for you.

What do they do?

There are several stages of the process. Firstly, during export haulage, they transfer goods from their first location to their warehouse. Then they obtain customs clearance so that items can leave the country of origin and make their way to the destination. Once the item reaches its destination it goes through destination handling and then it is transferred into the import warehouse before being delivered.

Their network is important

The better established your freight forwarder is, the better they’ll be. You want to make sure that your chosen company has all the connections they need to get the job done and that they have plenty of experience under their belts. This will make all the difference when it comes to getting things done quickly.