Things to Consider when Picking an Air Freight Forwarder

Posted by Pan Ocean on December 15th, 2020

When it comes to international shipping, air freight forwarders are the only courier companies to go to. But luckily, there are more options in freight forwarders now than there ever were. Today, every neighborhood in Singapore has an air freight forwarder that caters to the shipping requirements of the people in that area. Your neighborhood must have a provider too. But in order to find out if that provider is trustworthy enough to partner up with, you need to consider a few things. Below are some points to take note of when selecting your own personal air freight company.

Experience

The first question to ask when signing a company up for your air shipments is if it’s experienced enough. There are many companies that have been in business for decades. Some are still newer. But when you are looking for experience that you can count on, go with the older companies. Why? Because experience teaches a shipping company to deftly deal with issues like port shutdowns, strikes, reroutes, customs and such things. Through these forwarders, your cargo will assuredly reach its destination on time.

Inclusiveness of Services

The next thing to look into is the service range. Bigger companies that are fully established in this niche keep a longer, more inclusive service line as opposed to newer and smaller ventures that are still dabbling in different areas. So is there a template list of services that can be assured to be the yardstick of inclusivity? Sadly, there isn’t but when choosing a provider, it behooves users to look for some basic and advanced services in their catalogue. For example, transportation tracking, packing and storage, warehouse and distribution, customs clearance, cargo space booking, freight consolidation are some of those services that you surely want to see on the catalogue of your provider. These services ensure that you don’t have run from provider to provider to meet your diverse shipment needs. Just one provider can cover them all.

Credentials

The third thing to take note of in an air freight forwarder is its credentials. Does it have any certification that proves that it is specialized in handling goods? Some companies would be eager to provide you some proof of their certifications. In any case, before signing them up, don’t hesitate to ask to see a reference list. You can verify it by making contact with the people on this list to know for certain if the provider is reliable or not.

Cost

Last but not the least, the cost is another big factor that needs to be scrutinized prior to selection. Most companies have moderate shipping rates. You still want to examine your options well and make sure that the service you are getting for your money is well worth it.

If your local provider fails to meet all these above criteria, there is no reason to settle for less because these days you can hire providers online with just a few clicks. So, go ahead and find an air freight forwarder that fully satisfies your requirements and hire them for long term shipping.