What to Look Out For When Selecting a Cargo Shipping Company for Your Exports
Choosing the right cargo shipping company can make a critical difference in a competitive world. If you get it wrong, your shipments will not arrive on time, or you may not get the best rates and services essential for you. A quick look at some of the most important things you need to pay attention to while selecting a shipping company:
Cargo Loading Services
There are quite a few cargo loading services many shipping companies offer that can make your life more convenient. For example, if you need door-to-door shipping, you should find out if the shipping company you are looking at offers it or not. With this option, the shipping company undertakes to come to you to take the delivery of your goods, pack them, and deliver them on a turnkey basis to the destination of your choice. Even though this service can cost more, it represents a hassle-free option that requires you to do minimal work. You can leave everything to the shipping company.
Container Sizes and Capacities of Your Choice
Depending on the volume of the cargo, you will want to choose the right size and number of containers. Typically, all international shipping companies will offer containers of both 20-feet and 40-feet that conform to international standards of multimodal transport. If you have perishable cargo or temperature-sensitive cargo, you can ask for a temperature-controlled container. These containers are known as reefers in industry parlance, says an ocean freight online professional.
Cargo Tracking Tools
Most reputed shipping companies offer accurate cargo tracking tools to customers. Typically, these are online tools that can be accessed using a tracking code that can give you the latest transit status. Customers can also opt to receive regular updates over email if they so desire. Most of the reputed shipping companies offer the cargo tracking facility in their service package at no extra cost, which is a big benefit when you are a regular shipper. In Philippines people rely on jrs tracking to stay updated about their packages.
Shipping to Final Destination Cost
When you are comparing cargo shipping companies, price is undoubtedly one of the biggest factors you will be watching out for. Some companies will offer you a rate only for the ocean freight component and then add on fees for the pickup and delivery as well as additional charges for fuel, tracking, insurance, etc. When you ask for a quote, you must be sure to add up all the individual charges and also check if there are any extra fees hidden in the fine print of the contract. According to The Institute of Export & International Trade, you will usually be able to get a more favorable rate from a freight forwarder than the shipping company itself, unless your cargo volume is very high.
Conclusion
Choosing the right shipping company for your export business can be more complicated than one would assume. However, you need to not only pay attention to the price but also the quality of the service. You must opt for a company duly licensed with a valid NVOCC number issued by the Federal Maritime Commission. It can be a good idea to ask for recommendations from those in the same industry.
