Five questions you should ask when choosing your Melbourne freight forwarder

It can be hard to choose a Melbourne freight forwarder when there are so many competing and offering international shipping services at varying rates and service qualities. The problem is, however, in finding the freight forwarder that will deliver exactly what you need, as you want it. Asking these questions could help you choose the right freight forwarder for you.

• Does their international freight network have the ports you need?
• What types of cargo do they deliver?
• How many years have they been in the freight forwarding industry?
• Exactly what freight services do they cover?
• Are they financially sustainable?

Five questions to ask when choosing your Melbourne freight forwarder

Does their freight network have the air and sea ports you need?

Freight forwarders move your goods by coordinating air and shipping lines with transport companies. This requires them to maintain a wide freight network of agents to effectively cover a range of air and sea ports. By working with quality agents they can quickly and reliably ship your goods on time and in good condition. For importers and exporters based in Melbourne and wishing to move goods to and from Australia, it is best to choose a Melbourne freight forwarder. Forwarders with an office in Melbourne will have valuable local knowledge and a solid local freight network shipping in and out of the city.

Freight Forwarder Quote Online Australia has offices in Melbourne and Sydney. We also have international offices and strategic networks and partners around the globe that allows us to ship freight to over 40,000 locations. Checkout online international shopping quote tool to find out what destinations we cover.

Work out their freight network coverage

What types of cargo does your Melbourne freight forwarder deliver?

There are several major types of cargo moved by freight forwarders. These include:

• Commercial dry and refrigerated cargo
• Live animal and plant cargo
• Dangerous goods
• Oversized, fragile and high-value cargo
• Personal effects and pet cargo

Enquire if they have the capacity, skill and experience to handle the cargo you wish to transport to or from Australia. Tell them about your needs in detail and see if they have handled similar cargo and volumes before. Most importantly, search the Internet and read customer feedback and reviews to get a feel for the quality of service they deliver. For example, at Freight Forwarder Quote Online Australia we ship all the cargo types listed above except for dangerous goods, live animals and plants.

Establish what types of cargo the freight forwarder ships

How many years have they been in the freight forwarding industry?

Maintaining a consistent and quality international freight service for a wide range of customers is a challenge for all freight forwarders. Only experienced and well-versed operators with a high level of skill, patience, determination and commitment to succeed have a good record over the long term. Companies with years of experience know how to handle the most difficult international shipping situations, including:

• Routing or shipping issues
• Port shutdowns or congestion
• Dock worker strikes or port disruptions

Our team at Freight Forwarder Quote Online Australia is made up of highly experienced personnel with rich international freight backgrounds. Our forwarders and brokers work with our agents to get your cargo delivered at a fair price and deal with any difficult situation, ensuring timely delivery.

Find out years of experience the forwarder has

What international freight services do they exactly deliver?

Some importers and exporters focus on the freight rate as the main factor when choosing a forwarder. You need to make sure, however, that their quote includes, or can they provide, all the things you need. It’s often easy to think you might be saving more with a rate several hundred dollars cheaper than a Melbourne freight forwarder, but don’t overlook the minor details, such as allowing for the use of a truck with a fork for transporting from port to door.

Or the international freight quote or freight service may overlook major details, such as delivering the cargo only to the port and not to the door. The transportation of goods from port to your warehouse or customer might unexpectedly become your burden and require you to organise a local transport company to handle this for you. This might come at significant additional costs and time. Choose wisely and go with a freight forwarder that offers a Our team complete solution to your international shipping.

Confirm what international freight services are offered

Are they financially sustainable?

Another factor often overlooked by importers and exporters is the importance of the financial sustainability of a Melbourne freight forwarder and that they are in it for the long haul. This is vital if you are a regular importer or exporter, where it is important to build and maintain a long-term partnership with your Melbourne freight forwarder. That means a forwarder that has been trading for many years and runs a sound and solid business. It’s difficult to get information on how financially secure a company is, but you can always search around to see if there are any mentions in news stories or credit checks on the Internet.

Check into their financial sustainability

Need help from a Melbourne freight forwarder

If you are looking for a Melbourne freight forwarder, run these five questions on Freight Forwarder Quote Online Australia and see how good a fit we are for your needs. We provide a comprehensive set of air and sea freight services from all major overseas locations at very competitive rates.

Find out more about us on social media and follow us on our LinkedIn or Facebook page. Otherwise, feel free to call us about your shipping requirements, today at 1300651233.