When your business relies on importing/exporting merchandise, the freight forwarding company you choose needs to do more than get your shipment from point A to point B. Choosing freighter forwarding agents that will be true logistics partners can make a big difference in the success of your company. These tips can help you choose the best freight forwarding agents for your needs.
1. Choose a Freight Forwarder That’s Big Enough to Handle all of Your Needs
It’s important for your company to work with a freight forwarder that has carrier contracts with a variety of carriers. The more options your freight forwarding agent has for carriers, the better the chance that your shipment will get on board a ship sooner and your goods will get to their destination faster. At LILLY + Associates International, we have contracts with more than 50 ocean shipping carriers which will ensure that your load gets where it needs to be—on time.
2. Contract with a Freight Forwarding Agent that Has a Good Network of Global Agents
When you choose a freight forwarding company with a solid network of agents at origin/destination ports, you’re assured of better information flow, which allows for handling the logistics more smoothly. You’ll know where your shipment is and can get someone to intervene more quickly if there are problems.
3. Make Sure You Work with a Freight Forwarding Company in Good Financial Shape
It’s always important to work with companies that are on solid financial footing. Every freight shipper has nightmare stories about cargo shipments stuck in storage because the freight forwarder failed to pay the ocean carrier in a timely manner. Treat your freighter forwarding agents just as you would any other potential business partner. We’ve recently experience a 44 percent growth rate, which speaks to our financial strength.
4. Expect Excellent Communication with Your Freight Forwarder
The best freight forwarder agents will provide you with personal service. You should be assigned a specific person to handle your cargo and your needs, and you should be able to reach them directly. The lines of communication should always be open, and the company/agent should take accountability to manage issues if and when they arise. We offer convenient online tracking tools that allow you to check on the status of your load when you need to.
You depend on freight forwarder agents to be your eyes and ears on the ground when you work with imports and exports. At LILLY + Associates International we promise to work with you as a valued team member instead of treating you as an inconvenience like other shipping companies are known to do.
23 Comments on “4 Tips for Choosing a Freight Forwarding Company”
Really nice tips. Worth sharing. I will definitely share it on my blog.
Hi John – glad you enjoyed the article and would like to share it on your own blog! Please be sure to properly cite our page when reposting.
My sister and her family are moving over seas due to a change in her husband’s job, and they are looking to hire a freight forwarding company to transport their belongings. It is good to know that the more options your freight forwarding agent has for carriers, the better the chance your shipment will get on board a ship sooner to help your goods get to their destination faster. I did not realize how important it was for the company to have carrier contracts. I will be sure to share this information with my sister, thanks.
Hi Lauren – we are glad you found this article helpful. We are happy to help, you can email our team directly at solutions@shiplilly.com
Found your blog. Its really valuable. I appreciate your article. Its important for get good informations on worldwide shipping services. So thanks for sharing all that important information.
We are glad you find our articles resourceful. Thanks for reading!
I’ve been looking for a good freight company, and I think that being able to get some information would be good. I’m glad you talked about working with a freight company who is in good financial shape. I think that the comfort from a stable freight company would be good, and help me make things easier in the future!
Hi Jordan – glad you found this helpful!
Yes, you are right. we are the one that you indicated.
Thank you, Chris!
The company I work for is in need of a new freight shipping service to help send our products internationally. So I like your tip to find a service with a great network of agents they can use. I will be sure to tell my boss to find a freight shipping company with a strong network that they will be able to use.
Hi Ashley – it is great to hear that our article was helpful. Our team would be more than happy to provide you with a quote, you can email our sales team directly at solutions@shiplilly.com
Thank you for pointing out that you should expect excellent communication with the company you are working with. Finding someone to ship your goods overseas seems like it would be very important. Hopefully, people do their research and find the best company for them.
This is a great post!
I’ll be sharing this with people who have trouble selecting a freight forwarder.
Hello – We are glad you found our article useful. Thank you for reading us!
Amazing piece of content. Very informative and precise.
Hello Andrew – We are glad you enjoyed our article. Thank you for reading our blog!
I totally agree when you said that they should be easy to contact especially when issues arise since they must report to you fast. With that in mind, I will ask about their communication system first before choosing any company. We just need their services to smoothly deliver some pieces of furniture to our relatives in the rural area since they have been affected by the wildfire. This will help them start anew.
Thanks a lot for sharing these 4 Tips for Choosing a Freight Forwarding Company. This is very helpful. Great blog.
I like how you mentioned that one should look for a freight forwarding agent with a good network, so that someone can intervene quickly if there are problems with your cargo. One of my friends is wanting to start up a business, so these tips could really help him out. Thanks for all the tips on getting a good transportation service.
Hi Taylor – We are glad you find our content useful. Thank you for reading us!
It makes sense that one should consider a fleet service with a good network in case of a problem with the cargo. One of my brothers is looking for a freight service to ship his containers. I will heñp him find a fleet service following your suggestions.
My husband is planning to have his excavators transported into a different construction site, that’s why he’s currently looking for freight service. I’m glad you shared this; I’d make sure to check if the chosen service has carrier contracts with different types of carriers. I’ll also keep in mind if the service consists of legit and solid agents.