Questions to Define Your Need Before Contacting A Freight Forwarding Company
When website comes to freight forwarding and third party logistics (3PL), choosing the right logistics service provider is not any different than selecting the most appropriate supplier or your own employees for your company; you are selecting a partner that will 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 very best freight forwarding services. In this fast-changing world which is highly influenced by supply chain optimization, cost efficiency, timeliness, and unvarying service, shippers, importer, exporters and others mixed up in supply chain must make an assurance which freight forwarding company to select for their logistic needs. In choosing the right forwarding company for your business, the size of your company should not fix upon how big is your freight forwarder (a combination of volume shipped, revenues and # of employees are the way the size of one's freight forwarder is defined). There are large companies that chose small freight forwarders because of their business and also small companies that chose to have large freight forwarders. Therefore, there are plenty of other questions that must be answered along with other point of comparison that needs to be analyzed to conclude which freight forwarding company is right for you personally and your company. Here are several questions that you need to answer that you should know which freight forwarding company to select: 1. What mode of service do I need? 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. If you are having international freight forwarding, ask yourself 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's the worthiness? Is my shipment considered oversized or out of gauge? 5. With respect to the mode of transport that you will be needing: what size ocean container, what level of air cargo, or size domestic cargo will I 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've the material safety data sheet, that is required by my freight forwarder? 8. Is there any kind of import or export license necessary for the import or export of my cargo based on the commodity and ultimate destination of the cargo? If so, do I understand how to apply for that license? 9. Will I 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 kind of additional service? 10. If cargo will go to a fulfillment center such as Amazon.com, will I need additional repacking services, labeling, pick and pack or other service required 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 offering a combination of these services? For additional insights, in choosing a freight forwarding company, it's also advisable to check that the company your choosing is certified, if you are round the middle east, you need to check for NAFL member or perhaps a FIATA member.