What to look for in a Freight Forwarder when you are sending Cargo from the UK to Pakistan?

Author: Muhammad Shakil Naz & Isla Oliver

Whether you are an importer or exporter, the first and foremost thing you would do is keeping a hawk-eye on the procedure of secure and safe shipment. Alright, if you are about to send your cargo to Pakistan from the UK and fixing your gaze to delve into how should you select the right logistics partner for you, there are a bunch of things you get to look back on.

Here, we’ll explain what to look for in a freight forwarder while sending your cargo from the UK to Pakistan. Let’s jump into this:

1. Watch out for your shipping needs and whether the freight forwarder meets your requirements

First of all, you must be well aware of all the needs you have when it comes to sending cargo from the UK to Pakistan. The more you will get into your shipping needs, the more you would be able to tell your freight forwarder about what exactly you are hoping for.

To put it simply, if you are dealing with a lot of incoming and outgoing shipments, you would be needing a freight forwarding company that can handle your massive workload. That being the case, picking out a company that is too small to cater to the bulky volumes of cargo, you will be ending up making a blooper. To keep safe against this, do the proper research about your shipment needs first. This key information is of great importance for your selection and for the forwarder’s capability to decide whether they can do the job for you or not.

2. Does the freight forwarder who you are shipping with having enough experience in the field?

Yes, nothing is the pinch hitter of experience. Having years of experience means your freight forwarder might have come across different situations such as port shutdowns or dockworker strikes, dealing with warehousing issues or smoothing out customs, needs for rerouting shipment, and much more. On that account, you need to pick out the forwarder having quite a lot of experience in the field.

With that, the experience is the basis of the business relations of the forwarder and it will help you at every single step during the transportation of your goods. Also, go for the forwarder who knows how to deal with unforeseen problems that may arise during transportation. For example, in case your shipment wouldn’t go as per your plan, your forwarder must have some alternative ways to deal with it. Also, it will be much safer to send your shipment with the company having years of experience.

The experience is also helpful in deciding the type of cargo you are sending with the company. Also, just give the customer’s reviews about the company a once over with a fine-tooth comb so that you would know how the company has behaved towards the issues in the past. Check out whether

The freight forwarder has worked with your type of cargo already?

Do people trust the way your forwarder handles the goods to prevent the losses?

Once you have gone through the in-depth research, you can choose the best freight forwarder to send your goods to Pakistan.

3. Make sure the customer service of the freight forwarder is up to the par

There are now two ways about the fact that the art of effective communication is the indication of an effective business. The way your freight forwarder communicates would indicate everything about their approach towards the business.

Well, getting customer service not only means the communication between Emails, social media, or phone calls, but also the timely response by the forwarder. Alright, what would be your reaction if there are thumping great hold-ups in the email replies from your forwarder’s side? That’d be something very knackering, isn’t it?

You have to spend a lot of time resolving any issues if there are hold-ups. That’s a given. Also, it’s a sign of great customer care if you have been assigned a specific person to your account. This will help ensure that all of your ambiguities are answered timely and then resolved immediately.

Basically, everybody wants to make sure that the freight forwarder they are shipping their cargo with will assist them regarding the location of their cargo if something goes wrong. Beyond the shadow of a doubt, great customer support is the insurance of not only the real-time tracking of your shipment but also the effective communication in case you are lacking assurance regarding any of the aspects of the process.

4. Does your freight forwarder offer door-to-door services?

There is no denying the fact that we all follow a hectic quotidian routine and our calendar never says “Sorry, no events this week”. On that account, go for the forwarder that can save you quite a lot both in terms of money and time. These days, many freight forwarders offer door-to-door service which means you don’t have to transport the cargo to them yourself. They will pick up the items from your doorstep or any of your location instead.

By doing this, you would be able to save your precious time and effort. Therefore, with the help of door-to-door service, you can hang on to the money that you’d have paid otherwise in bringing the shipment to the freight forwarder. That’s effortless, isn’t it?

5. Does your freight forwarder have cargo insurance?

Alright, that’s probably the thing needing huge attention. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. You just get to select the freight forwarder that covers insurance in their agreement. This would be an offset against the damage done to your goods during the transportation process.  Read out the contract, the claim procedure on the contract, and the amount covered by the insurance carefully before picking out the freight forwarder.

Straight after that, giving the omissions and errors insurance a look-see will be something fructiferous. No kidding!

6. Ask if your freight forwarder has a network of agents in Pakistan

It can be a bit difficult for you to understand the standard of the company handling your cargo. It can appear to be great but what if it is not properly connected to other forwarders and transportation companies? You cannot even measure the unpleasant outcomes confronting you due to a minute inefficiency. Make it certain that the forwarder you opt for has a wide network of agents and partners with a country and outside. The carrier contracts determine the effectiveness and your luggage safety. The more diverse and wide connections they have, the safer their actions are.

The possession of a license and connections with numerous logistics service companies engulfing some of the leading freight companies and trucking services are the fundamental attributes that the shipping broker assigned to you must-have. Picking a capable freight forwarding company ensures smooth and easy transportation of goods. Such a company can also offer fascinating benefits and discounts too.

In addition, it is also mandatory to know the type of connections the freight forwarder you hire has within the shipping industry. The freight broker can make your business journey more and more proficient and it is really significant for you.

Most freight forwarders have connections in the ways of air transport and ocean freighters, which can assist you when you start to grow and develop your business. The betterment and progress of your business lie beneath the point that you have well-planned for the future.

7. Does the freight forwarder you are shipping with provides any tracking and reporting technology?

Yes, an effective and speedy tracking and reporting technology offer benefits more than one can shake a stick at.

Gone are the days when tracking of freight was carried out manually through email, and it needed to be diminished due to the ineffectiveness and lack of full pertinence. What to say on account of getting to know all info about your shipment without a need of email or a call? Nifty, huh? An active and able freight forwarder provides you with all these tracking facilities to make you feel carefree. Even such companies alert you the delays or alterations about the arrival of your consignments. The company’s supply chain has the ability to provide detailed tracking information down to the purchase order.

Flexibility is a significant ingredient, on a practical level for a freight forwarder to use in their systems today. When you will be able to access tracking information through your cell phones, tabs, or desktop; it will determine whether the consignment visibility is referred to as a meaningless or a powerful tracking number for your business. It is beneficial to cover all the bases when it comes to the tracking and reporting technology used by the forwarder you are shipping with. Giving the cargo transport details, status of current and pending orders at any stage during the transit of goods, a thorough look-over would be a great idea. This will enable you to keep close weather on the whereabouts of your cargo and other necessary details about the shipping. Whoa!

8. Competitive rates and packaging facility

It is also important to single out the freight forwarder who offers competitive pricing.

Because of the high competition amongst the freight forwarding companies, you are likely to get the crackerjack freight forwarding company which offers excellent service coupled with highly competitive rates. Unequivocally, the price is a crucial factor to keep a close eye on while choosing the freight forwarder. And searching out a freight forwarder that fits into your budget is something you must be pinning your hopes on.

With that, check out if there is an availability of packaging service. Some goods are delicate and they need to be given special care during packaging. A perfect freight forwarder is well aware of the goods which require special packaging (As some fragile items need primary and secondary layers of packaging to be transported safely). So, go for freight forward who offers packaging service as well.

A freight forwarder who works professionally provides its clients with the information flow and who is always conscious of the customer’s cargo status will lead from the front as a trusted and valued business partner. Whoa!

See the Contact Details of Freight Forwarders, Shipping Agents and Goods Transporters inside Pakistan