Freight Forwarders in the Shipping Industry
As the cornerstone of international trade and development, the shipping industry basically maintains the operation of the world economy. Those who know it will tell you that it is an exciting industry and one that involves enormous responsibility. Deciding who you want to work with and how you want to collaborate in this business are two very important decisions that you have to think carefully from the start.
A professional relationship with a freight forwarder can be reduced to two basic forms:
Agent as client
Request your help, rates and services in a specific area and the agent will become your customer. They will receive the utmost professionalism and attention, complete bookings in a timely manner, and send invoices correctly until the next opportunity to meet their needs. From our point of view, we value good service the most and follow up with them for more business opportunities. But at the end of the day, being the client's agent is the one who decides who they prefer to work with.
Agents as partners
This is a more integrated and complex form of cooperation. In this case, we consider agents within our professional network not only as possible customers, but also as suppliers or sub-suppliers. Going further, a good overseas partner might be our eyes and hands (or better, sales and operations) in areas where we don't have a live presence.
Consider long term and short term
For the most part, the cooperation of agents is fairly intuitive and depends largely on external opportunities and personal relationships among company employees. In this way, we find ourselves working with many different agencies on just-in-time shipments and most short-term agreements.
Logically, people will always look for better conditions, prices and available services, which can mean inconsistent and limited business relationships. But by applying some strategic thinking and statistical analysis, we can achieve long-term cooperation, from which both parties can benefit and grow together:
Reliable connections and clear procedures for every shipment
Through direct contact with the relevant responsible persons, we have a better understanding of the standard processes and requirements of both parties.
Deep insight into foreign markets and regulations
Do you know the maximum authorized weight for U.S. inland haulage? Countries and goods for which the EUR1 certificate is applicable? Best Incoterms when shipping from China? All of these and more are useful tips that form part of the solid expertise and local knowledge that partners share with each other.
Better understand customer needs
Either way works. The longer you work with a client, the smoother and faster it will be to manage their bookings. Your customers will rely on tailor-made service and the most competitive prices in foreign destinations/origins, resulting in increased overall satisfaction and, of course, your company image.
Taking a long-term view, more integrated cooperation with overseas agents will provide diversified opportunities for win-win development.
