What Are International Freight Forwarding Services?
This is a type of supply chain that involves the process of multinational and specialized businesses offering several services to ensure the transportation of loads across borders. For example, international freight forwarders ensure booked vessel space to facilitate cargo shipment. The vessel can either be a train, ship, or aircraft.
Besides, these businesses facilitate the preparation of documents such as customs paperwork necessary for international shipments. Freight forwarders also cater for freight charges depending on their business policy and agreement with their clients. Finally, they can offer in-land transport for the load to reach its intended destination.
International freight forwarding tends to exhibit a dynamic environment because of the constantly changing technological landscape, taxation requirements, and international trading legislation. Thus, freight forwarding supply chains must be modeled proactively and effectively. Proactivity is necessary because any disruption in international freight forwarding can derail cross-border trading and shipping. Hence, this linkage in international shipment is a vital intermediary.
What Is an International Freight Forwarder?
Multinational freight forwarders facilitate the process of shipping cargo across borders. There are several types of freight forwarders who handle varying tasks in the freight forwarding supply chain. They each have accorded varying titles for official records and registration, which is necessary to manage some freight forwarding duties. Below are the most common intermediaries between shippers and the intended destination:
Air Waybill (AWB) Agent
Also referred to as air freight agents. This type of cross-border freight forwarder handles cargo processing for airlines after receiving it from the shipper. Thus, they generally have the legal power to provide air waybills.
Loading Brokers
Loading brokers usually act in the interests of the ship-owners when sea freight forwarding is being facilitated. They receive loads from shippers, shipper’s agents, or road haulage brokers and process the loads for freight forwarding. Thus, loading brokers are generally the second intermediary between shippers and the transport provider.
Road Haulage Brokers
This type of international freight forwarder is common because most in-land freight forwarders operate on a small scale. Road haulage brokers act as the intermediary between in-land transporters and large-scale shippers to facilitate consolidation of the freight forwarding process at this point.
What Services Are Commonly Provided by International Freight Forwarders?
International freight forwarders provide cargo transportation from a shipper to the desired destination as the main service. But, depending on the type of company, you can access additional value-added services for your convenience and increased satisfaction. Here are the commonly offered value-based services in international freight forwarding:
Warehousing Services
Under warehousing services, you can store your load for a specified period agreed between you and your freight forwarder. Besides, you can access inventory management services to evaluate your shipment to determine specifics like the physical location, weight and quantity, and type of goods.
Freight forwarders further provide transloading services whereby they facilitate the transfer of your load from one form of transportation to another. Finally, these businesses can package and unitize your shipment for enhanced care of the goods and optimal delivery to the intended destination.
Customized Delivery Services
Freight forwarding companies also offer services specialized to a customer’s needs and requests. For example, most of these organizations provide a delivery duty paid option whereby they perform customs formalities on your behalf to ensure clearance of your shipment. They can also scan the shipped goods to ensure they meet all the necessary legal requirements. Additionally, you can expect to enjoy express delivery services if the shipped goods are time-sensitive.
Do You Need to Hire International Freight Forwarding Services?
International shipping can be a hassle regardless of your operational scale. You might find it challenging to obtain value-added services that maximize your convenience and customer satisfaction. The integrity of your cargo might also be undermined in transit due to ineffective freight forwarding practices. But, all that can end! You just need to contact Amekar Logistics, a highly experienced international freight forwarder with several value-added services.