If you are a business owner who needs to ship items across the globe—either to your customers or from your suppliers—you definitely need the benefits of a full-service freight forwarder. Perhaps the biggest reason a company would outsource anything is to shift its efforts back to the business. After all, you have better things to do than worry about logistics. But there are plenty more reasons to partner with a shipping specialist.
Manageability and Organization
One of the greatest reasons to outsource is to increase your productivity. When your business is organized, it becomes much more manageable. By shifting shipping to a full-service freight forwarder, you gain more time, which means more stability. No longer are you left wondering and worrying about the delivery of products. Instead, you have a dedicated professional who is managing that for you. All you need to focus on is running your business and delighting your customers.
Cost Savings
If you were to ship all of your products or supplies yourself, you’d likely end up paying more in the long run. This is the basic principle behind how big-box stores like Walmart can charge so little: they manufacture in bulk. When you have a full-service freight forwarder managing your shipments, they can bundle your smaller container with other clients to reduce the overall costs. Likewise, they can negotiate a lower rate for larger shipments. From your perspective, you’ll not only gain more time in your day, but you’ll save money as well.
Knowledge
Full-service freight forwarders don’t just decide to hang up a shingle and start a business without any experience. They have a vast amount of knowledge of all of the ways shipments can move from point A to point B. And they manage the logistics of all of it. Whether your products need to be transported via air, land, or sea, your freight forwarding partner will determine which is the fastest, most reliable, and cost-effective way to get them there. It’s kind of like if you need legal advice: You wouldn’t do your own research and handle it yourself; you’d hire an expert. The same holds true when it comes to shipping.
Security
If you don’t have a depth of experience in the shipping industry, you don’t know which companies are reliable. However, when you trust a freight forwarding company, they’ve done that screening for you. Security may be one of the best benefits of outsourcing shipping. That peace of mind is worth everything when your customers’ satisfaction is the lifeblood of your business.
Contingency Plans
What if something happens in the world that affects your shipping schedule? (We’re looking at you, COVID-19!) If you’re managing the logistics yourself, you’ll need to determine alternatives on the fly and figure out not only what you thought was the best solution but backup plans as well. When you trust a full-service freight forwarder, however, they already have contingency plans. They know what’s happening throughout the industry and will create alternatives to ensure that your shipments arrive as promised.
Choose the Right Full-service Freight Forwarder
When it comes to choosing a freight forwarding company, you have many options. Some only manage air, others land, and still others sea travel. Instead of splitting the responsibility among multiple companies, choose the one that manages all of those shipping methods.
At Cyclone Shipping, we do it all. We know what to do to get your products where they need to be when they need to be there. With our large database and depth of knowledge, we ensure that you reap the full benefits of our experience. Contact us to learn more.
