Discovering a Fabulous Freight Forwarding Agent
If you need to select the best freight forwarding (or clearing) agent for your shipping needs, keep the following principles in mind.
Experience:
There is simply no substitute for experience. A freight forwarding agent with experience will be of much more assistance to you than one just learning the ropes. An experienced freight forwarder will come complete with a Rolodex of industry contacts to help your business ship products in the most cost and time efficient manner.
Knowledge:
Look for a freight forwarder with substantial knowledge of all aspects of the shipping industry. The ideal agent will have a firm grasp of the best practices of freight forwarding in order to provide you and your customers with superior service.
Price:
Ask yourself, what it's worth to you and your company to save the time and headaches of managing your international shipping logistics? Clearing customs? Language barriers? Delays? How much is all that worth to you? You may have a figure in mind, but be sure to calculate a fair price that covers every single aspect of forwarding your freight. Being surprised by hidden fees won't be a pleasant experience for your business, especially if your customer is charged.
Ensure that your freight quote is calculated with a method that takes in to consideration even the minor details to ship your freight. If you look hard enough, some freight forwarders might offer a freight calculator built in to their website. That way you can come up with a rough cost estimate on your own before negotiating a fair price to ship your goods via a freight forwarding company.
One more thing to consider when choosing a freight-forwarding carrier. A freight forwarding agent should not only know how to come up with a solid logistical solution for your full-truckload shipment, but also have access to less-than-truckload rates in order to bring you the best rate.
Colorado Freight
