If you’re an importer or exporter, you need a good freight forwarder to help with your freight shipping. But with so many options, how can you know you’re choosing one that’s a good fit for you and your business?
We’ve got your back. Keep reading and get to know about the best Freight Forwarders in USA, DSR Freight Systems.
Along with the information why they are the best freight Forwarders, we’ll also share about their services, and how can they benefits both small and large businesses.
Finally, we’ll provide where in USA their services are available, the cost, and extra benefits.
Need a refresher on what a freight forwarder does? Continue reading.
What are Freight Forwarding Companies?
A freight forwarding company is a company which arranges for high value or large quantities of goods to be transported to different locations on behalf of its clients. Each company may provide its own unique range of services to meet the requirements of its client base and, as with any business, these services may vary with market demands.
The services of a freight forwarding company can include:
- advising you on the best routes for shipping according to the nature of the goods, their origin and destination, seasonality, risk and urgency
- advising on costs, including packaging and freight charges, fees for licences and certificates, fees for obtaining customs clearance, and the level of customs duties and taxes
- negotiating, bidding and booking your shipment for road
- preparing or advising on all shipping documents for the transportation of your goods, including any safety and security requirements for controlled or hazardous goods
- arranging for the payment of freight charges on your behalf
- arranging for picking, packaging, labelling, loading and stowage of your goods
- arranging for warehousing, storage and inventory services where necessary
- consolidating small consignments into full loads, and arranging for the deconsolidation of larger consignments into smaller loads for inland distribution
- arranging inland transportation to the shipment’s final destination
- putting appropriate insurance in place to cover your goods for any risks in transit
- tracking your shipment as it moves from the point of origin through to point of destination
- ensuring you have the correct licence and/or certificate for your goods to clear customs, where many goods may be subject to strict licensing and controls
- making sure all customs clearance and any other documentation is in place
- submitting any relevant customs declarations, either themselves or through a specialist customs broker, and ensuring compliance
- delivering your goods to an agreed location within a specified timescale.
Why needs a freight forwarding Company?
If you’re entirely new to importing or exporting goods in and out, or you just want the process to be as straightforward as possible, using a freight forwarder can prove to be a sensible investment. The benefits of using a freight forwarder include:
- Taking advantage of their knowledge and expertise, and wide network of connections, to get the best deal when it comes to cost, speed and reliability, where a freight forwarder can save you both time and money if you’re exporting large volumes of goods or high value items.
- Avoiding the cost of investing in compatible software to make customs declarations, where a freight forwarder will have access to the necessary software to file online declarations.
- Minimising the risk of error that could result in the seizure of goods and imposition of penalties, where the importance of making correct customs declarations, and having the right documentation in place for controlled goods, cannot be underestimated.
- Provision of an end-to-end freight service, including transportation and customs clearance, plus extras like picking, packing, storing, insuring and tracking, meaning you’ll only have to deal with one person or company when moving goods in or out.
- Peace of mind that your shipment is in safe hands, where moving goods in and out involves detailed coordination and regulation — and if something goes wrong, or you need to submit an insurance claim, the freight forwarder should be able to help with this.
There are, of course, potential drawbacks to using a freight forwarder. These can include a loss of supply chain control, as well as a lack of control when it comes to costs, not least as there’s plenty of scope for unscrupulous freight forwarders to include all kinds of hidden markups. However, with the right company, who can provide a service specifically tailored to your needs, freight forwarding can provide you with the ideal import and export solution.