As a business, no matter what size you are or what industry you’re in, you will live or die on your reputation - and a big part of building trust with customers is ensuring that your goods are delivered in a timely and efficient manner.
If there are shipping delays or issues with delivery, you can bet that your clients will take to social media sooner rather than later, letting the entire world know that you’ve let them down, so prioritising this aspect of your business is an absolute must.
One of the best ways to go about ensuring satisfaction in this regard is to enlist the services of a freight forwarding company. To help you work out if this is the right path for you, here are some frequently asked questions about this kind of service.
Freight forwarding is simply when logistics companies are engaged with to transport a range of different goods from producers to manufacturers and then onto the consumer.
This can involve long or complicated routes across land, sea and even air, which makes it difficult for small businesses that may have little to no knowledge of exporting and importing… and this can lead to delays with shipping.
Freight forwarders take over all the logistics work on your behalf, organising shipping for both domestic and international trade. They arrange everything from how products are moved to how they’re stored en-route, as well as working closely with businesses to make sure that all documents (such as those for customs clearance) are in place.
They don’t actually move the goods themselves, but serve as an intermediary to help you get your products to market in an efficient and cost-effective way. They have an extensive network of trustworthy services and in-depth specialist knowledge of international rules and regulations relating to importing and exporting goods.
It’s possible that the size and weight of the shipment in question could be restrictive, but there’s usually always a solution to any problem where freight is concerned. Note, however, that hazardous, perishable or high-value goods will be regulated under international law.
Every country around the world has its own port network, which means your products will have to go through a customs clearance process. Different rules, regulations and laws are in place in each country and they can even be different from port to port in the same country, so it’s important to have someone supporting you who knows the specifications of each.
Because freight forwarders will be responsible for damage or losses during transportation, it is customary for clients to take out cargo insurance to safeguard products throughout their entire journey, from start point to end point.
