If you’ve been considering switching up your logistics process and/or hiring a freight forwarder, but are unsure whether it’s the best move for your business, this is the article for you. Today we’ll be exploring what a freight forwarder actually is, and how engaging the services of one can be beneficial to the smooth operation of your company.
What Is A Freight Forwarder?
In order to properly understand how a freight forwarder can be useful to your logistics department, you first need to be aware of what exactly they are. While it’s pretty obvious from the name that a freight forwarder handles the relocation of your goods, they also take care of other aspects that you may not have considered. These aspects include dealing with customs, packaging products for shipment, and handling paperwork, as well as a host of other associated tasks.
Why You Should Engage The Services Of A Freight Forwarder:
Ensure Processes Run Smoothly
Moving products from a to be may seem like a fairly simple task at the surface level, but it’s actually quite a complex process. Many moving parts must work in harmony in order to safely and efficiently ship products around the country (or world) and keeping on top of all of these aspects is quite literally a full-time job. By engaging the services of a third-party freight forwarder, you’ll be able to ensure that this process is handled correctly and runs smoothly, as it will be the main focus of your account manager.
Prevent Issues With Customs
Unless your entire supply chain is located within the country where your business operates, you’re going to have to deal with customs at some point. This also applies after products have been sent out to customers unless you only service your local area. Because of this, there are a whole host of rules and regulations that you’ll need to be on top of if you don’t want to come unstuck when it comes time for your products to cross the border. And don’t even get us started on the paperwork and documentation required. The good news is that a professional freight forwarder will handle all of this for you, so you can focus on running your business and put your energy into areas that align with your skillset and are of interest to you.
Avoid Packaging Problems
Any kind of shipping poses a risk to the safety of your product. Carriers aren’t always known to take the best care of parcels but even when they do, there are elements out of their control that could result in damage. There are also compliance standards in place in many areas of the world which dictate how products must be packaged if they want to travel into (or, in some cases, through) an area. This issue is obviously most significant if you’re shipping goods internationally, but even if things are staying within your country, a certain level of protection must be provided if you want the best chance of having your products arrive safe and sound. While not the case with all service providers, your freight forwarder, in many instances, will be able to assist with ensuring that items are appropriately packaged, so you don’t have to worry about whether they’re going to get stuck at the port.
This list of reasons why you should hire a freight forwarder is far from exhaustive, but it should give you a good idea of why their services are so valuable. So, all that’s left to do now is a bit of research so you can choose the best freight forwarder for you business and then make a call to get the ball rolling.