Finding the right shipping partner for your business is not an easy task and with so much choice available, where do you start?

A quick search on Google will display thousands of possible freight shipping companies’ but whilst many will provide you with a solution, how do you ensure you are going to choose the right shipping company for your business. One that will offer good pricing, excellent service levels and actually value your business?

Without doubt overseas shipping can be a complex matter, especially if you are new to shipping goods around the world and uncertain as to exact procedures. Finding a partner that will offer you free help, assistance and guidance is without doubt a good start.

If you are shipping goods for commercial purposes (business to business) then you should seek to use the services of a freight forwarder that is familiar with assisting business clients. Some shipping companies will mainly deal with private individuals, such as handling overseas removals or consignments of personal effects.

Any decent shipping company will be able to offer you a written quotation, giving a breakdown of charges – clearly detailing what is included and what is excluded from the shipping quote. Make sure you always request a written quotation and note any special remarks or restrictions – such as the validity period of the quotation or any special terms associated to the quote. Is the quote based on a certain airline or shipping line, because they are offering a cheap discounted price? What if that particular airline or shipping line has no capacity or availability when you come to book the shipment, how much more will it cost to utilise an alternative carrier?
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