Everything you need to know about international freight forwarding

One of the most widely used methods of international transport is freight forwarding. This applies to both personal and business use. Freight forwarding companies can offer you to ship the fright by sea, air or by land. Of course, this process may seem daunting in case you are not quite familiar with it. Therefore, in order to help you understand it better, we have made a list of things you should be aware of when international freight forwarding is in question.

First of all, you should know what a freight forwarder is

Freight forwarders are the ones who are responsible for transporting goods between two destinations. They are specialized in arranging the whole process for their shippers- from storing their goods to shipping them internationally. Basically, a freight forwarder is an intermediary between the shippers and transportation services. In addition to this, they are also negotiating on price with a range of carriers so that they can achieve the most economical, fastest and reliable route.

Hiring a freight forwarder will keep you away from the hassle Boueri Freight Services

When the need for you to ship some goods arises, it is preferable to hire a freight forwarder than to do it on your own. Having someone to take care of the import and export of your goods will make the whole process much less stressful. That someone should be an international freight forwarding company. They are highly experienced, extremely knowledgeable and they can help you on all levels. This means that there will be no need for you to worry. They will take off the pressure from you even from the packing and warehouse stages up to navigating the customs procedure. One such company is Boueri Freight Services- they are at your disposal for any kind of international freight forwarding.

Services that an international freight forwarding company has to offer

Companies of this kind do not offer only freight forwarding. They also have a wide range of different services that are at your disposal. They can assist with the supply chain process on several levels. This includes customs clearance, providing you with an insurance and dealing with all the necessary paperwork. In addition to this, you can be sure that reliable companies will find safe storage solution for your goods. Plus, in case you need someone to take care of packing of your goods, you can be sure that an international freight forwarding company will provide you with it.

You should not blame freight forwarding companies if there are delays

Even though delays are annoying and we would all like to avoid them, sometimes this cannot happen. In case there is a delay during the shipping process, you should know that your freight forwarding company is not to be blamed. The delay can happen because of bad weather, port delays, breakdown or some unforeseen route changes. Try not to be frustrated by this unfortunate event. Bear in mind that your freight forwarding company is doing their best to resolve the issue. You can be sure that they will do it as quickly as possible and that your goods will get to their final destination.

It is of great importance for your paperwork to be up to date

Before you hand over the paperwork for transporting your goods to your freight forwarder, make sure you have completed it. This is your responsibility, so, do everything you can to do this properly. This step is essential since it will help you reduce the risk of your goods being held in customs. It will also be of great help in case the bank is not releasing your funds. On the other hand, in case you are not entirely sure which paperwork needs to be completed, you can ask your freight forwarding company. They will be able to help you with this step and, in this way, make the whole process much easier.

You should know that there are certain restrictions when it comes to shipping

When you need to ship your goods internationally, there are certain restrictions you need to be aware of. Namely, international freight forwarding companies have to adhere to strict regulations. This means that they are unable to ship certain goods and substances, like toxic and flammable goods. These regulations especially go for air and sea freight, where the list of prohibited items depends on the final destination. There is also a restriction when it comes to shipping alcohol, perishable goods, batteries, and sharp objects.

Another important information is that freight forwarding has six main steps

The first step is export haulage- this is, actually, the transportation of goods from their original source to the warehouse of your freight forwarder. The next step is export customs clearance, which happens when your goods receive clearance to leave the country of origin. The third step is the origin handling. The goods are unloaded from the warehouse after which they are inspected and validated against their booking documents. The following step is to import customs clearance when the authorities check the customs paperwork for your goods. After that, we come to destination handling, which includes the transportation of goods to the import warehouse. And, the last step is to import haulage. It involves the transport of the goods to the final destination.