How to choose an international shipping company?


What is an international shipping company?

Players within the ocean freight industry and those who are generally more knowledgable and experienced with the ins and outs of it such as seasoned shippers tend to use very specific terminology and industry jargon when referring to a certain player or procedure. These include NVOCC, broker, 3PL, BCO, VCO… the list goes on. 


A shipping carrier is a company that operates the shipping vessel your shipment is being transported on. A reservation is needed on board their vessels to ensure your shipment is transported. It may also be referred to as the shipping line, liner or simply carrier. To Choose the Best international shipping companies you need to consider number of factors. 


International shipping costs

The costs of sending an international shipment can vary greatly depending on the needs of each shipper.


FCL shipments, for example, tend to cost more than LCL shipments as it requires the reservation and usage of an entire container as opposed to just a certain volume in a shared container. Shipping during the peak season will also incur higher costs due to the different fees that are implemented during this period.

Here’s a quick breakdown and summary of the different elements that may affect your overall international shipping cost:


  • Freight associated charges

  • Carrier-related fees

  • Zone-specific charges

  • Delay fees

  • Taxes and duties

  • Customs fees

  • Port charges.

  • Inland charges

  • Destination charges

  • Documentation fees

  • Cargo insurance


International shipping quotes

Once you have set your priorities and have a good idea of international shipping costs, you can begin to request for international shipping quotes.


Some freight forwarders still do not have their rates posted online on an easily accessible platform. This means that to obtain a quote for your shipment, you will have to email or call them with your shipment details and then wait for them to get back to you. The disadvantage of this is that there is no guarantee as to when or if they will reply, hence potentially leaving your supply chain in limbo as you wait.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

vehicle carrier

vehicle transporter