A freight forwarder is a company that helps to organise the transport of goods for its clients. This includes tracking and tracing shipments, booking cargo space, and giving advice on customs rules and regulations. Insurance and warehousing can be provided by the freight forwarder as well.

Responsibilities of a freight forwarder

• Preparation of documents needed for importing/exporting the goods
• Negotiation of freight charges and selection of transport providers
• Managing inventory during the storage
• Completing the insurance claims

Benefits of using a freight forwarder

• Simplifies the process of shipping
• Provide all necessary documentation and insurance for shipping
• Make it easier to manage freights because only a single invoice is used

The freight forwarding process

1. Export haulage

This step involves taking the products from the forwarder’s warehouse.

2. Export customs clearance

The forwarder will check whether the products and paperwork match.

3. Items checkpoint

The items arrive at the warehouse and are unloaded. The team does a quality control check and matches the documentation.

4. Import customs clearance

The items go through customs clearance, and the rate of import duties and taxes is determined. The freight forwarder pays customs charges on behalf of its client.

5. Handling at destination

After customs clearance, the products are prepared for transport to their final destination.

6. Import haulage

The last step of the process is import haulage - the transport of the goods from the warehouse to their final destination.