There are many international freight shipping companies to pick from when searching the web. While some companies are really great, there are certain things a person or company must look for to ensure their freight gets to the desired destination. In this article we will cover what to look for in an international freight shipping company and how to cut shipping rates. This is primarily written for business-to-business freight shipping from the USA.
Normally when someone is shipping freight, it is done by an ocean freight forwarding company. You can go directly to the shipping line and pay full retail or you can use a freight forwarder who has contracts with many shipping lines. Think about shipping freight forwarder as a broker. They can work with many different shipping lines to find the best price for your shipping needs. They are not limited to using only one shipping line. In addition, they get wholesale pricing since they bring a lot more business to a particular shipping line. If a person is looking to use an international freight shipping broker, they will pay less than if they approached the shipping line directly. Additional benefits aside from cost savings is US Customs Clearance. The broker would take care of any paperwork for you including US Customs Clearance. If a person goes directly to the shipping line, then they have to do everything themselves. A company exporting controlled goods may have to obtain a license from a government agency before taking a container to the shipping docks. By using the expertise of a shipping broker (also known as a freight forwarder), delays in shipping would be minimized.
Another thing to look for when engaging in international freight shipping from the USA is to check the BBB for complaints against a certain company. In order to reduce any type of fraud, check the FMC (Federal Maritime Commission) for the company’s NVOCC License. Make sure it is valid. If the company you are looking to use checks out on both the BBB and FTC, keep them as a candidate. If you are not 100% sure of a company, ask them for a copy of their license from the FTC.
Most international freight shipping companies will bring an empty container to a warehouse where the shipping department fills it. The truck driver will wait for a couple hours and once the container is full, it is sealed and the truck driver takes off to the assigned shipping port. One way of cutting costs is to bring all the product to the warehouse at the departure port, but this mean all logistics will need to be coordinated by the sender.