When businesses want to maintain a profitable flow, shipping products and goods is often an important factor. However, this process is usually quite complicated and involves many moving parts.
Therefore, many business owners contact freight forwarding companies. UK freight forwarders are members of the British International Freight Association (BIFA) and are responsible for making sure shipments reach their final destination.
In order for you to have a complete picture of the freight forwarding process, we will provide you with a detailed description. The most critical stages will also be discussed, along with some important distinctions.
Freight Forwarding: What Does It Mean?
If you’ve never heard of freight forwarding companies, you might think they’re the same as shipping companies. Maybe you imagine them to be a distribution manager.
Despite the fact that freight forwarding contains elements of both, neither of these would be accurate. Freight forwarding companies specialise in storing and shipping goods for their clients.
Sounds fairly straightforward. However, these companies offer numerous services, such as tracking inland transportation, managing paperwork, managing regulations, warehousing, booking cargo space, negotiating freight rates, and much more.
The Freight Forwarding Process in Six Stages
After you understand what freight forwarding companies do, we can go into more detail about the entire process. The tasks that are handled by a forwarding company cannot be listed all at once, but they can be divided into six stages.
Providing export haulage services
Shippers hire freight forwarding companies first. After the goods have been picked up by forwarders in the UK, they are transported to the warehouses they have reserved.
During this stage, all the activities are referred to as export haulage. Forwarders often use several different modes of forwarding to accomplish their tasks, including road and rail.
Clearance of export customs
It is mandatory to clear customs when shipping internationally. This is the point at which the in-house licensed custom brokers take over freight forwarding.
It is their responsibility to submit all the details regarding the cargo, as well as any additional documentation. This particular stage of the process is usually handled by one person in the freight forwarding company.
Handling at the origin
The tasks that are covered at this stage of the forwarding process can often be quite extensive. The most important part, however, is that the forwarding company receives the cargo. The booking details are then validated against those in the existing booking. As a final step, the forwarding company issues a receipt for the cargo.
Clearance of import customs
In order for the cargo to enter the destination country, import customs clearance has to be cleared. The forwarding company must obtain all the paperwork it needs to declare the products and goods being shipped.
The process begins before the shipment even reaches its destination, and it should not be confused with customs duty. The freight forwarding company is responsible for customs clearance and having all the necessary documentation.
The destination handling process
After the import customs clearance is complete, the freight forwarding company gathers all the shipment’s documentation.
You must make sure everything is in order and that there is nothing missing. It can cause many problems for every party if it is not handled properly.
Haulage for imports
We are now at the end of the freight forwarding process. A warehouse is set up at the final destination for the cargo. This task of import haulage is usually handled by the freight forwarding company. Alternative arrangements may, however, be possible.
Forwarding offers a number of benefits
In freight forwarding, complex maneuvers have to be performed. If you own a business that needs to move goods and products, you might wonder if hiring a freight forwarder is a good idea. Several reasons make it a sure thing:
- Keeping things simple
- Contract freedom
- Efficiency in cost-savings
- An expedient process
- System for tracking
- Maintaining security
Selecting the Right Forwarding Company
If you decide that freight forwarding will benefit your business, you need to choose the best option for you. A forwarding company’s success is dependent on their network of business partners. With GenX Freight, UK businesses will get the best freight forwarding services available.
A forwarding company with a modern touch that offers cutting-edge shipping and logistics solutions. A variety of services are available, including road freight services, sea freight, air freight, and project cargo. Ensure you choose only the best.
