Freight Forwarding is an essential element for the import, export and supply chain industry of Pakistan. It involves the handling, warehousing and transportation of goods from overseas through air and shipping channels as well as domestic transportation through rail and road.
Hiring the services of a professional Freight Forwarding company can be critical for the smooth functioning of your downstream business operations. Any disruption in your supply chain due to non-availability or late delivery of your freight, raw materials or machinery can be disastrous for your business. If you deal with a non-professional Freight Forwarding company just to save on costs, the results could be very unpredictable! Therefore finding and selecting the best Freight Forwarding company would be a critical decision for your whole business process.
Here is a Quick List of Ten Things to look for when selecting a Freight Forwarding company!
1/- Atleast 5 years of experience in international freight management and at least 10 years for domestic freight industry.
2/- Affiliations, certification or membership with known international freight industry related institutes such International Freight Forwarders Association – IFFA and Pakistan International Freight Forwarders Association - PIFFA .
3/- International network of associates and specialization. Every business has its peculiar needs. Therefore you should look for areas of specialization which best fulfil your business requirements such as Shipping or Ocean Freight, Supply Chain Management and Logistics, Port and Custom Clearance, Warehousing and Storage.
4/- Do they own assets such as cranes, trucks or lifters. Very few freight forwarding companies in Pakistan possess their own assets. Usually such assets are rented through third parties as per the client’s needs.
5/- All leading Freight Forwarding companies use a CSV or Freight Management Software through which dispatch, delivery and pricing are managed through software which shows reliance on computer based performance supported with evidence. It is best to ask the company to take you through a virtual tour of their Delivery Management System instead of just relying on verbal. assurances.
6/- Choose a Freight Forwarding company which has a financial strength equivalent to your expected freight related exposure.
7/- Moving freight across continents is a complex process with multiple stake holders at different levels. A Freight Forwarding company with strong contacts with shipping lines, airlines and branded international freight forwarding companies can move your freight much faster than an ordinary freight forwarder.
8/- No matter how fast you can move your freight across continents, if it gets stuck at your local ports it is as good as it never arrived. Choose a Fright Forwarding company with strategic presence at local airports, sea ports and dry ports.
9/- Choose a Freight Forwarding company with extensive networks of associates around the globe. This can be instrumental in trouble shooting in different countries when facing logistical, storage or similar issues.
10/- Choose a Freight Forwarding company with a good understanding and knowledge of freight and customer related laws and international freight management documentation.
Lookup.pk offers hundreds of directory listings of Freight Forwarding companies in all major cities of Pakistan such as Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Hyderabad, Peshawar, and Quetta. It should be a good starting point for finding a good local Freight Forwarding company for your goods handling, warehousing and transportation needs.
You can also find thousands of reviews posted on Lookup.pk which can be used to evaluate the reputation and credibility of any Freight Forwarding company. Lookup.pk offers a platform to review businesses and proactively encourages people to post their personal experiences so that the same could be used by others for guidance.
