“Advice for exporters: Should I use a freight forwarder?
1. What is a freight forwarder?
TJ china freight defines freight forwarder as follows:
A company that specializes in arranging the storage and transportation of goods on behalf of their shippers. It typically provides a full range of services including: tracking inland shipments, preparing ocean and export documents, warehousing, booking, negotiating freight rates, LCL, cargo insurance and filing insurance claims. The freight forwarder usually ships with its own bill of lading or air waybill (called sub-container bill of lading or sub-container air waybill), and its agent or partner (overseas freight forwarder) at the destination provides document delivery, unpacking, and collection. Serve. Also called a repeater.
This definition is a bit wordy and sounds complicated, so let’s make a basic definition as follows:
A freight forwarder is a company that arranges the import and export of goods for you.
2. What can I expect a person to do for me?
Generally, a freight forwarder should be able to understand your requirements and determine the best shipping option to deliver your shipment at a competitive price within the desired time frame.
In addition to these core shipping services, they should also be able to provide:
Customs Clearance – Most freight forwarders should be able to complete customs paperwork on your behalf and facilitate the payment of any taxes or duties owed to customs on your behalf
All other shipping documents such as bill of lading, certificate of origin, letter of credit or any document required by the bank before payment
Insurance – A good freight forwarder will be able to provide insurance services to insure your shipments for loss or damage
Logistics and supply chain management, which has many facets but can include fulfillment, customs consulting, contract logistics services, and other similar value-added services.
3. What are the benefits? Are there any downsides?
The main benefits of working with a freight forwarder are:
Industry expertise and knowledge
They can use their purchasing power to reduce shipping costs
You can focus on your business instead of complicated shipping or customs procedures
Global Agent Network
Provides confidence in exporting to or importing from new markets.
The main disadvantages of working with a freight forwarder are:
It’s an opaque industry and it’s hard to tell the good from the bad
The UK’s freight forwarding industry is unregulated, meaning anyone can start a business
Due to contracting with third parties, freight forwarders have little control over schedules or shipments.
4. Do I need to use a freight forwarder?
No, you can choose to oversee the entire process yourself if you wish. However, the vast majority of international trading companies do use them as it makes things easier and allows them to leverage their expertise and connections.
5. How to find a freight forwarder?
You are lucky! You have found one. This is the website of TJ china freight, a trusted freight forwarder since its inception. We are happy to help you with your international shipping needs.”
