6 Key Considerations For Engaging A Freight Forwarder In Nigeria
Who is A Freight Forwarder?
A freight forwarder is a person or company that arranges the transportation of goods from one location to another, typically for businesses that need to move large quantities of products across borders or between different modes of transportation. They handle all aspects of the shipping process, including documentation, customs clearance, insurance, and other logistics services. Freight forwarders act as intermediaries between shippers and carriers, ensuring that goods are delivered on time and at the most efficient cost.
The primary consideration for selecting a freight forwarder is the impression that the freight forwarder has or is perceived to have the core competencies required to move freights to and from any part of the world and deliver to diverse destinations and effectively manage the regulatory intricacies involved in the entire process.
While manufacturers, multinational corporations, SMEs commodity traders, retailers and final consumers across the globe rely heavily on freight forwarders to move consignments from origin to where they are needed, there are important decisive factors that inform the choice of which freight forwarder to engage and they include:
Proven Expertise: The key consideration here is whether the freight forwarder has the technical ability to handle your kind of cargo? Whether the forwarder understands the assessment criteria for such cargo? Or the country-specific regulations and documentation requirements for your cargo? Sometimes, even when they give the impression that they clearly understand these criteria, it is important to establish for whom they have handled a similar job, when it was done, how it was done and whether they were able to demonstrate expertise in the process.
Forwarders in this category practice Freight Forwarding as a profession, given that global trade and logistics, have become more complex, technologically driven and requires specialized technical competencies that can only be exercised by trained professionals who are more value oriented, while also receiving adequate reward for their trade.
Forwarder’s Client Management History: One question you must ask before hiring a freight forwarder is: If things go wrong (because they can), do they have the capacity to manage such situations and the sincerity to communicate exactly what the problem is, how it came about; how they will resolve it; the time required to do so without any negative impact on your bottom line? If the freight forwarder’s client management history is known to diligently address these question, then you are advised to deal.
Service Orientation: Apart from the need to reduce logistics cost, if your other goals for engaging a freight forwarder include saving time and increasing your level of productivity, you must engage a freight forwarder with the right service orientation. A freight forwarder that understands the time-sensitive nature of modern logistics. A freight forwarder that will settle for nothing less than delivering your consignment on time and in the best condition. A forwarder whose primary concern is not in the amount of money to be made but the value provided in the end.
Compliance History: Engaging forwarders with poor compliance history can be very costly. Costly because the consequences that usually follow dealing with a bunch of self-serving, non-compliant and inept forwarders don’t only make you lose money; the can have a damaging long-term effect on your business. That is why you must consider a reputable forwarder like Fortune Global, with a healthy compliance history to take care of your freight forwarding need and save you from potential risk of non-compliance.
The Forwarder’s Performance Pedigree: Engaging forwarders with the pedigree of high performance is one of the safest ways to ensure that you achieve logistics success faster, better and at little or no risk exposure to unnecessary costs.
Sound Industry Knowledge: The benefits of hiring forwarders with sound knowledge of the market where they operate, and a clear understanding of the local economic environment are quite enormous. Knowledge will shape how they communicate; how your requests are handled; their interface with regulations – including documentation and post-delivery relationship management. Beyond just meeting your logistics needs, they can help with your end-to-end logistics planning and provide advice or useful information on market trends, dynamics and regulatory changes.
Overall, what we’re trying to achieve with this article is simple! We want you to succeed in your business-especially when it involves moving your consignments to and from one end of the world to another. If you have challenges with this assignment, all you need to do is to outsource that entire process to a reliable company Like Fortune Global, so that you can concentrate on the core aspect of your business. We take the burden off your shoulders because we understand the technical intricacies of global freight transportation, having also built an admirable record of high performance in that regard.
Read more: Benefits of Hiring a Competent Freight Forwarder
