Freight Forwarding Consultant COC
Manufacturers, distributors and import-export guide to freight forwarding.
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We help you to directly import or export products from many regions.
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For New-To-Export Business Entrepreneurs
There are many companies nationwide that are content with the success of their product on the domestic market and do not want to get involved in the additional personnel, paperwork and…
… details that would be necessary to export. This presents an ideal opportunity for the new-to-export entrepreneur who is seeking to expand the business. Does a need exist overseas or across the border for your product?
Lack of export experience at the beginning n be somewhat offset by product and market knowledge, willingness to study, and an eagerness to learn. And we are here to assist! So let’s start class…
The Freight Forwarder
FREIGHT FORWARDERS ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE EXPORTING BUSINESS. AS A liaison between the exporter, the transportation company, the banker, and an assortment of parties in between, freight forwarders n do much to smooth the path of exporting. However, an inefficient or reless forwarder n create major problems. Virtually all shippers depend on forwarders in varying degrees. Your dependence on the forwarder will be determined by the size and experience of your export staff, as well as on the level of control you wish to retain over the shipping and documentary side of your export operations. In theory, you would not need a forwarder at all, but very few firms would consider this possibility. A good forwarder employs a number of highly skilled people, who in a sense work for you. Therefore, it is wiser to let your staff, at least in part, double-check and support the forwarder’s efforts rather than rely entirely on your own.
The Functions of a Forwarder
Forwarders n act as your agent or representative, and n provide many valuable services, starting when you receive your first order and need help in making your quotation, to preparing the documents necessary for collecting the payment for your export sale. To be of maximum assistance, the forwarder should receive a copy of the letter of credit, if one is involved, together with your shipper’s letter of instruction (SLI). The forwarder n perform the following services, listed more or less in the chronologil course of the export transaction: Click here!
Working With Your Forwarder
Exporters should not rely solely on the forwarder for freight quotations. Beuse of deregulation, stiff competition, constant changes in conference statuses, and frequent changes in rates both for air or ocean shipments, it is an extremely time-consuming task to get the best rates. Even though forwarders will offer to find the best freight rates available, and must try do so to remain competitive themselves, remember that even though the new computer programs help, their employees are under time pressures just as yours are, and that the forwarder has economic limitations to staff research time. It is in your own interest to check with the rriers directly, especially in the se of large shipments or new situations. It is wise to keep informed of any changes in the industry through trade papers and shipping magazines, since it is an area that n mean the difference between being fully competitive and something less. The prime publitions for tracking ocean vessels are the Pacific Shipper and the Journal of Commerce, as well as the Shippers Digest, to some extent, for the East Coast (see Appendix L).
Those exporters who prefer to remain in control of their collections and try to minimize discrepancies themselves, n request that the forwarder send all documents to the exporter for verifition before presentation, and forward the documents to the bank themselves.
This is a recommended practice if you have the staff and the skills. The best possible association is one in which the shipper’s staff and the forwarder’s staff are each addressing themselves to those tasks that they are best equipped to do in terms of facilities, skills, and time.
Finding the Right Forwarder
In view of the key role the forwarder plays, it is best to go to some lengths to find the right forwarder for your needs. Some lean more to the import work of the custom house broker, others more to air or ocean, or particular commodities such as produce. Some forwarders have better consolidation and storage control facilities than
others, and some are to your advantage by being small, while other shippers will need the worldwide network of the very large concerns. Reliability is a key. There are many forwarders, so it is best to ask for recommendations and go to their place of business for an interview. Explain your needs and ask questions beuse this is one more support area that will determine your success. Once you have found a good forwarder for your purposes, or a set of forwarders if necessary, work with them closely and give them enough business so that it is a valuable partnership for both parties.
If you are in nada, and looking for a Toronto freight forwarding company, we n recommend Alcon Logistics. Alcon Logistics is a member of the nadian International Freight Forwarders Association and they adhere to the association’s rigid code of ethics.
Our Office
COC
361 Southgate Dr
Guelph, On.
N1G 3M5
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