7 questions to ask your freight forwarder
7 questions to ask your freight forwarder
International Transport. 7 Questions to Ask Your Freight Forwarder
International shipping can be one of the most or least stressful things you will ever do, but in order for it to be so, you need to get several quotes and then choose the right shipping company and. How to do it? It's easy. Here are some leading questions you can use when requesting a transport quote. It is not always the cost of transport that should determine your choice of a forwarder, but the services it offers.
We recommend you start with this - Do you offer door to door service?. Although this question may seem strange to you, it is actually one of the most important. International freight forwarding and logistics companies must offer a full door-to-door transportation service. This is extremely important to know when comparing offers. Some companies can take care of everything for you – just think about exactly what you require, exactly what service you need and how much budget you have for the particular international transport.
Don't neglect your cargo insurance. Standard insurances are in most cases okay, but it is good to find out what other type of insurance the given company offers, with what coverage, under what conditions? Consider carefully what a cargo damage would bring you - how much time, funds and negatives - everything happens. For a slightly higher price, you can get real peace of mind. All good companies offer cargo insurance, but what really matters is the cover they can offer you - in transit, loading/unloading, theft and/or loss and its maximum value.
In most cases, the shipper packages and labels the cargo, but there are also more specific cargoes. If yours is, can you handle it? Ask the shipping company if they can help you pack your cargo and at what cost. Often with international shipping, shippers are tempted to save money by packing everything themselves. However, we generally advise you not to, especially if your cargo is more specific. At the very least consult, or better yet, the company you have chosen. Yes, this will probably make your transport more expensive, but did you know that most countries when importing goods have their own requirements for packaging and labeling and a number of other declarations.
When preparing an offer for freight transport, the starting point and the final point of freight transport are naturally taken and you receive a price for it, if you have not set additional requirements. But how your goods will be shipped - it is important to have a clear idea of how your goods will be transported. When moving only across a continental border, transport is usually carried out by truck. But for longer distances, a different type of multimodal transportation may be required and included, which is at the discretion of the forwarder. Keep in mind that the more times your goods are moved to or from different modes of transport, the greater the risk of damage. Ideally, you want to use as few modes of transportation as possible, while of course taking into account the cost and time available to deliver your cargo.
How long will the move take? – is the next question you should ask and enter in your transportation inquiry. Different companies have different capacities and options for international transport. Some have their own fleet, others work with partners, others also have trucks and many carrier partners. That's why some companies can deliver the goods exactly on your desired schedule, while others will offer you a range of options to choose from. But keep this in mind that almost always fixing a delivery date and time increases the price of the service. Companies that offer pre-determined delivery days usually do so because they group shipments together, which significantly reduces costs, and that's not a bad option at all. The shipping method also determines the price you pay. Moving within a continent, as mentioned above, can usually be done by truck or train, while moving from one continent to another almost always uses ships. You can move goods by air, but the cost of doing so will be too high, although it will be really fast. Or goods transported by land can be transported as fast as the trucks/trains can move, while shipping by sea may take several weeks longer.
Will my cargo require storage? In most cases, in international transport, cargo is stored in bases before it is grouped and shipped, before it is loaded onto a ship or before it clears customs. Good shipping companies will take into account the different storage conditions and make sure your goods are protected accordingly, you may not even realize it, it's just part of their job. But it's good to be informed and be sure to ask your freight forwarder if they offer additional storage services and how much it would cost you.
And finally – the reviews. If you want to be even more certain about an international shipping company, research the reviews and ask if you can speak to satisfied customers. Yes with happy customers ???? If she can give you at least a few to talk to that would be great, especially considering online reviews are often written on impulse, talking to a customer in person would be really nice. This way you will be able to ask specific questions to people who have gone through a similar situation. Choosing a good shipping company is not difficult, right?!
Grand Logistiks daily carries out dozens of international transports by land, air and sea. We offer a full range of forwarding and logistics services. And how long have we been on the market - a lot. Contact us and find out everything you need.
Look more:
TRANSPORT DOCUMENTS
CARGO INSURANCE
GOOD FORWARDER