Blog

Planning on taking your company international is one of the biggest steps you have to take to ensure future growth and success but it can also be quite daunting. What you need is someone trustworthy to help you supply your goods to the rest of the world. This is where a freight forwarder comes in!

Freight forwarders are some of the most important and useful parts of any organization. The benefits of hiring a freight forwarder are immense. 

To understand why you would be needing a freight forwarder, it is very important for you to first understand what a freight forwarder does and what exactly is freight forwarding.

freight forwarding is the art of movement and supply of goods worldwide through the use of strategic planning and execution. A freight provider is responsible for performing many functions such as rate negotiation, custom documentation, freight consolidation, and so much more. 

Importing and exporting goods is important for any good international company. But this can also be very tricky. International shipping calls for logistics that can be hard to follow at times. Some examples include difficulties in understanding the protocol for customs which varies from country to country, dealing with problems such as weather issues, acquiring a license for international shipping, and so much more. 

This is where a freight forwarder comes into play. A freight forwarder is responsible for performing all of these tasks and more ensuring that you worry only about your business and leave the rest to them.

What is a freight forwarder and what do they exactly do?

In simple words, a freight forwarder is a company which will help you in arranging your transport and export goods.

They will help in carrying out the task of arrangement. A freight forwarder is not a shipping company itself, it is the link between your company and the shipping process.

There are a lot of things to consider when doing international trade. There are various transportation methods such as the sea, bus, airplane, etc. A freight forwarder works as the link between you and these methods. Freight forwarding companies make use of their connections and relationships to help you get the best deals for the transportation of your goods keeping in mind the economical state of your country.

Why do I need a freight forwarder?

Many people ask this question and wonder what is the benefit of hiring a freight forwarder? 

It is very much possible to continue with your international business without a freight forwarder but what a freight forwarder will do is provide ease and more efficiency to carry out tasks related to the transportation of goods in the international market. 

To make the benefits of hiring a freight forwarder clear, we have listed down all the ways these companies can provide benefits for you. Read this article to the end to understand how you will be benefited by a freight forwarder.

Benefits of hiring a freight forwarder:

Following are some of the most important benefits of hiring a freight forwarder.

• Safety And Security Of Your Goods:

One of the biggest and most important plus points of freight forwarding companies is that they offer the utmost security and safety of your goods. It doesn’t matter how delicate the goods are, freight forwarders ensure that your goods reach their destination without breakage.

Freight forwarding companies are equipped with the proper knowledge and understanding of what type of transportation system is best for carrying out your goods to the international market and provide you with proper insight into what methods are best for you and your company.

Through freight forwarding companies, you won’t have to worry about the details of shipping and their safety.

Freight forwarders ensure proper packing and shipping of your goods and materials. As a business owner, you probably already have a lot on your mind so having a freight forwarder worry about the safety of your equipment will only be beneficial for you. 

• Experience in the trade market:

Another very important benefit of hiring a freight forwarder is that they are experienced professionals. Just like you, an owner of a company is aware of what you are making, a freight forwarding company is completely aware and knowledgeable about handling international trade systems. 

The logistics of foreign trade are not the easiest thing to understand and with all the worries of running your own company, it is not worthwhile to indulge yourself in understanding something completely new. 

Moreover, if a company which is inexperienced in handling international trade jumps into it, there is a great chance of falling for a scam and becoming a victim of fraud. 

On the other hand, a freight forwarding company is well experienced and has the necessary people in their company to help you get the best deals and get your product to their proper destination.

• Budget-Friendly Mean of Transportation of Goods:

Freight forwarding companies are very cost-effective and budget-friendly. If you are worried about freight forwarders being an extra cost then its important for you to understand that freight forwarding companies are the opposite and are very much cost-effective.

The products supplied by freight forwarders are done in bulk meaning that the overall cost comes out to be a lot less than you might think.

Many small companies and startups have a variety of cost problems and rightly so but hiring a freight forwarder is a lot more beneficial than its cost.

It is very important to choose a trustworthy freight forwarding company to ensure that your products stay safe and reach the desired destination on time instead of plunging headfirst into international trade without any experience or plan. 

Freight forwarders are experienced in the services they are providing and can negotiate lower terms for the movement of goods according to the number of packages being carried. This makes freight forwarders a very ideal solution, even if your company is small or fairly new.

• Fast and quick delivery of goods:

Freight forwarding companies are there to make sure your goods are delivered with ease and at their proper destination in time.

These companies offer quick services with the guarantee of safety. Freight forwarders are experienced enough to make sure that the goods you have sent are delivered on time.

There are times when due to unforeseen circumstances mishaps happen. If you don’t have a freight forwarder then there are a lot of chances of your goods getting lost due to the mishandling of your cargo but what freight forwarders do is use their knowledge of networks to ensure ease at work. 

Going blind to sending your goods internationally might not be a huge problem every time but even if there is a single time when your goods don’t reach their destination, it could result in a huge loss of thousands of dollars for your company. 

So, to protect your company from any sort of loss while also having the deliveries being done on time, a freight forwarder can come in handy. 

• Efficiency in the tracking of Goods:

Because of the many unforeseen circumstances such as delays in shipment or weather conditions going bad, it is hard to determine where your goods are at the moment. This can be very daunting for companies trading their valuable items. But when you have a freight forwarding company linked with your goods you won’t have to worry about the location of your cargo at any given moment. 

A good freight forwarder has a well-equipped and efficient tracking system which helps in keeping check of the whereabouts of all the items that you have given for transportation.

A freight forwarding company makes sure to help you stay at ease with the delivery of your products by using the latest technologies to track down all your goods wherever they might be in the world at the moment.

• Proper Documentation:

When you are delivering products to a foreign country, there are a lot of things you need to keep in mind. One of those is the laws and regulations of import and export which can vary from not only country to country but even port to port. So, it is very important to understand what you are dealing with beforehand.

Of course, as a business owner, you can’t run a business and be on top of international dealings. Which is where a freight forwarder comes in. Freight forwarders are well equipped with the knowledge of everything related to the delivery of your products. 

A freight forwarder provides faultless documentation to ensure that you won’t have to face any troubles regarding international laws.

• Organization of Goods:

As a company, one of the most important things for you has to be organized. Many times you send products in the proper manner and fashion which is completely ruined by shipment.

A freight forwarder is here to help you with this problem too! Freight forwarding companies are run by people who know exactly what they are doing so they make sure to keep the organization of your goods immaculate. 

You can even send details to the freight forwarder how you want your goods to be packed and delivered and they will make it their priority to follow all your wishes and commands.

• Management of Goods:

Worrying about the whereabouts of your goods can make you feel helpless at times. It is impossible to manage your goods when they are halfway across the world. 

A freight forwarding company uses their vast network connections to keep track of your goods and items and make sure they are delivered to their exact location. A freight forwarder has connections all over the world which helps them keep track of your cargo even at times of unforeseen circumstances. 

A freight forwarder provides surety to your company about the exact whereabouts of your items. This will help you stay free from worries about the location of your cargo.

• Warehousing facilities available:

It is no doubt that a freight forwarder would deliver your goods on time but as a bonus, they also provide warehousing services.

There are many occasions where your goods might need to be stored before it can not be transported for example, in the times of bad weather conditions etc. A good freight forwarding company has warehouses available where your goods can be kept safe and secure until they can be delivered. 

Moreover, many companies use the warehousing facilities provided by freight forwarders without there being any unusual circumstances. The reason for that is taking advantage of this extra distribution centre can help you have a lot more control of your products. You can deliver a huge bulk of goods at one time and have it placed in the warehouse of your freight forwarder and have the cargo be delivered with faster shipping as compared to your counterparts in the same industry. This will help you stand out among the rest especially in the long run.

CONCLUSION:

In the end, it is up to you to decide if you want a freight forwarder or not. It is important to remember that a freight forwarder is responsible for providing you with ease at your work. 

We believe a freight forwarding company will not only make your work easier and provide security and timely delivery of your goods, It will also make your business grow and compete with others in the long run. A freight forwarder is responsible for handling all the import and export of your cargo and does all the necessary work to ensure that keeps on pumping out goods without the worries of where they might end up.

There are a lot of benefits of hiring a freight forwarder and all these benefits are given to you without having to spend thousands of dollars. Making hiring a freight forwarder extremely profitable spending of your money.

A freight forwarding company offers various advantages but it all depends on you and your needs. So, make sure to have a clear picture of what you want to do and even consult a freight forwarder to understand how they can help you in the long run.