October 22, 2012

International Shipping: Where do I start?

Ocean freight, international shipping, air freight, intermodal
Shipping freight internationally is considerably more difficult than international parcel shipping.  It often involves numerous modes of transportation, detailed documentation, careful packaging and a logistics expert by your side.  Here's some information to get you started on your international shipment.
Ocean Freight: 
Shipping ocean freight is thought to be a very cost effective alternative to air freight.  Unfortunately, it also can be time consuming so if you're on a time schedule, air may be your best option.  In either case, make sure you consolidate your packaging as much as possible, while not compromising your packaging structure.  Packaging properly will prevent damage to your freight.  Depending on the type of cargo this could mean, boxing, crating or palletizing.  Shipping ocean freight is much like shipping truckload.  You don't need to fill an entire freight container to ship.  You can either ship LCL (Less than Container Load) or FCL (Full Container load).  Container shipping is thought to be one of the safest modes of transportation.  No matter how many times the ship stops at a destination the container stay sealed and untouched.  Once your shipment arrives either by air or ocean, logistics experts will then determine the next best method of transportation to get your freight to it's destination.  This could be rail, less than truckload or full truckload.
Choosing Your Logistics Expert:
Choosing the right freight shipping logistics professional is pertinent to ensuring your cargo arrives safely and on time.  Here at FreightCenter we have a wide variety of carriers and services, ensuring we find the most suitable route for your shipment at the best rates.  We also have one-on-one international customer support agents that can help you along the way.  
Documentation: 
The documentation required to ship internationally will widely vary.  The to and from locations, type of freight being shipped and the value of your shipment can all effect the documentation needed.  With that there are a few documents that you should familiarize yourself with that are pertinent to the majority of shipments.

    • Commercial Invoice
    • US Certificate of Origin
    • US Shipper’s Export Declaration
    • NAFTA Certificate of Origin


A Few Tips: 
Get started early.  The longer you have to get your freight shipped the less expensive it will be.  Agents will have more time to find you the best rates and longer transit times equals less expensive shipping costs. Also be sure to take full advantage of the logistics agents. They are there to help with all aspects of your international freight shipment.  Have questions about international shipping? Click here to learn more or contact a freight agent today 800-716-7608.

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