Almost every day, hundreds of decisions must be made in a company. How to save money and optimise for shipment are two of the most important decisions. Not only can optimising how you ship save money, but it also opens new options to ship to new areas throughout the world.
Businesses that use a freight forwarder have a plethora of advantages over their competitors who use larger shipping companies that are unable to establish customised, bespoke shipment plans for them.
Differences Between Freight Forwarding and Standard Shipping
When opposed to operating through traditional shipping channels, freight forwarding offers a wider range of services. Documentation, customs clearance, and consolidation are all handled by a freight forwarder.
They manage packages and shipments and collaborate with a global network of agencies to keep shipments on track and to discover the most cost-effective or best shipping route for a shipment. Standard shipping companies will need to engage logistics managers to ensure that cargo is handled properly and tracked throughout the delivery process.
Benefits of Working with a Freight Forwarder
Freight forwarders offer several distinct advantages. However, freight forwarding largely simplifies the management of domestic and international transportation. Whether your business deals with imports or exports, freight forwarders can help you with a variety of shipping options.
Knowledge and Relationships
One of the most significant advantages is their knowledge and relationships in the shipping sector. Freight forwarders collaborate with vendors and organisations all over the world to provide shipping alternatives that a company might not otherwise have.
Forwarders Reduce Costs by Leveraging Volume
Due to the large amount of containers they handle and coordinate for their clients, freight forwarders can negotiate better rates with shippers. This is known as economies of scale.
Forwarders, like any other industry, benefit from economies of scale, which are defined as a cost advantage per unit as output increases. The bulky places available on cargo ships are rarely secured by a single customer, which is why these reductions are only available if they engage with a freight forwarder.
Flexibility and Adaptability
Freight forwarders are experts at navigating the complexity of the logistics industry.
Because of the fast-paced nature of the market, you’ll need an expert to steer you in the proper path, assign the right resources to your organisation, and be adaptable.
When you deal with a freight forwarder, you have greater flexibility because changing your mind isn’t as costly as it is when you work individually. Due to the complexity of the shipping process, you may find yourself changing your mind frequently. The freight forwarder ensures that the process is as painless as possible.
Forwarders Provide Legal Documentation
The two countries participating in the commercial transaction may or may not follow the same set of rules and regulations when it comes to international freight transportation.
Shipping to a foreign country might be difficult for business owners if their transporter has any discrepancies in legal papers. One of the most prevalent causes of protracted delays, fines, and cargo being held at port is the incorrect or incomplete documentation.
Freight forwarders assist with documentation management, ensuring that everything is in order, that your documents are secure, and that cargo is delivered in accordance with legal procedures.
Reliability and Experience
Moving products can be a challenging job – especially when moving goods internationally, where consignments must travel thousands of miles and the likelihood of something going wrong grows. This raises concerns about supervision and accountability.
Therefore, someone in the freight forwarding industry with the appropriate expertise and competence can better manage the relationship with any partners.
To summarise, today’s freight forwarder’s role is much broader than merely arranging transportation.
A consultative approach should be taken by today’s freight forwarding partner. They should strive to create tailored, forward-thinking solutions with the purpose of adding value to your company beyond transportation.
A good forwarder will offer assistance in areas such as foreign affairs, data and technology, insurance, customs, and more in order to ensure that their clients’ freight demands are met.
Keedwell Scotland, in collaboration with our partner company Keedwell European Freight, provides a variety of services throughout Scotland, Europe, and the United Kingdom.
Warehousing and distribution, general haulage, freight forwarding, and same-day delivery are among the many services available. Get in touch today for more information.