What should you consider when assessing if your freight forwarder is truly reliable?

How to ensure you choose a genuinely reliable freight forwarder 

Whatever your circumstances and needs are when it comes to transporting goods across national borders – whether you run an ecommerce store that sells to people across the globe, or you are an individual looking to relocate a single item to another part of the world – the right choice of freight forwarding company could help you a great deal. 

But while it is one thing to browse the various freight forwarding specialists out there and notice certain companies that offer an impressive breadth of services (including freight by road, air, and sea), it is another thing to ensure the company you pick is genuinely reliable. 

The leading freight forwarding companies understand the value of reliable transport partnerships. So, with that in mind, here are some ways to make sure you partner with a truly dependable company for getting your goods from one location to another. 

Make sure the freight forwarder’s services are well-matched to your needs 

As a shipper, you can quickly narrow down the various freight forwarders you are presently considering, simply by establishing beforehand exactly what services you require. 

Every freight forwarding company out there will claim to possess in-depth and wide-ranging expertise. However, not all of them will be the right fit for you, in terms of what they can actually provide. Certain freight companies, for instance, might not have the capacity to move particularly specialised types of products while achieving industry-leading reliability. 

Ask about the connections that the freight forwarder has 

To reiterate a theme that we mentioned earlier in this article, the maintenance of reliable transport partnerships will be a big focus for any trustworthy freight forwarding company. 

And freight forwarding is definitely a field that is all about interdependence, rather than independence; the best freight forwarders know how to coordinate even the most complicated assignments by drawing upon the right partners in their network. This helps to ensure shipments arrive at the times and dates they need to arrive. 

So, if you are unsure about whether a given freight forwarder has a strong enough network for your import and export logistics requirements, don’t be afraid to ask them. 

You could also research which firms the freight forwarder typically works with. This will help give you a sense of the given company’s reach and the industries and territories where it is likely to maintain especially strong and reliable transport partnerships. 

Seek out a freight forwarder that values transparency 

This can be a particular issue when it comes to costs. Sometimes, unforeseen circumstances can lead to a need for sensible and measured pricing adjustments. But not all freight forwarding firms are very clear about their pricing, or very proactive in letting shippers know about any changes that are likely to impact on their shipment’s final costs. 

So, you should be sure to prioritise choosing a freight forwarding firm that supplies accurate and clear quotes. You can do that with KTL, for instance, by reaching out to us online today. 

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