Choosing Freight Forwarders: Large or Small Company to Work with

Choosing Freight Forwarders

You can hardly find a company that doesn’t need reliable and timely shipping services. If you are going to develop and promote your business, you should cooperate with competent and effective forwarders. The assortment of firms is able to please even the most demanding and clients. The only thing you should do is select a company that meets the needs of your business.

Everyone who is looking for a freight forwarder has to make the choice between large shipping concerns and small local companies. They both have their pluses and minuses. You have to consider a wide range of aspects before you sign up for an agreement with this or that firm. The major ones of them are the following:

  • Feasible vehicles.

Delivering construction materials differs greatly from delivering foods. The first one requires standard trucks such as semi-trailers, for instance. The second one is impossible without the use of temperature-controlled ones. Not all the forwarders have a wide range of vehicles to meet your peculiar needs;

  • The possibility to cope with deadlines.

The main function of any carrier is to deliver cargo on time. If it doesn’t happen, your business may experience significant financial losses as well as lose its clients. It’s of prime importance to select carriers which meet deadlines;

  • Coverage area.

The local freight companies work only within a definite area. As a rule, they cope only with short-distance orders. Bigger firms have wider opportunities.

  • Skills and experience of the movers.

The safety of your cargo depends on the skillfulness and experience of movers. Thus, experienced drivers are less prone to car accidents;

  • Net of contacts.

The freight forwarding firm may be small but effective if it cooperates with brokers from around the globe. Even if the service you choose doesn’t have too many trucks and containers but is able to find the needed equipment in no time, you may benefit from it.

  • Customer support service.

In case of emergencies, it’s of prime importance to be able to count on efficient assistance and support from managers. You are to consider whether the enterprise has a support line and how effective it is. If it’s impossible to contact the experts within several hours or the response you get is not helpful, it’s better to look for another forwarder. The greater part of large concerns has customer support lines.

It’s also necessary to consider whether the firm has all the needed licenses and permissions to provide shipping services. It’s better to pick up forwarders who are ready to help you to cope with documentation. It’s a perfect way to save time and nerves. 

So, the size of the shipping company is the most crucial aspect. There are both large firms that are not able to deliver even the most standard cargo intact and on time, as well as tiny carriers that provide their clients with excellent support and top-quality services. Before you make a final decision, it’s a good idea to get acquainted with reviews by former or regular customers and to communicate with managers in order to clarify all details.