The freight forwarder: the benefits of using one

One of a company's main priorities is for its goods to reach their destination safely and within the deadline set by the customer. Shipping goods, however, involves numerous modes of transport and many operations to be carried out. All of this can turn into a real organisational nightmare. The best way to avoid the problems that come with choosing the right mode of transport is to use the services offered by a freight forwarder. The freight forwarder then takes on everything to do with the organisational side. Transport can be of several kinds, such as road, sea, inland waterway, rail, air and multimodal.

Such a collaboration is also beneficial for transport companies, which can find delivery contracts more easily. This ensures them a continuous flow of work.

What is a freight forwarder?

A freight forwarder is a company that acts as the link between the consignor of the goods and their consignee.

The freight forwarder takes over all the operations connected with the transport of the goods. One freight forwarder with experience in this field is Honexpres. We provide assistance in completing the legal formalities and in preparing the goods for delivery. We also identify the optimal delivery route and the most advantageous modes of transport, so that the goods reach their destination by the agreed deadline.

What does it mean to use a freight forwarder?

A company that signs a contract with a freight forwarder can be certain that the goods will be collected directly from its warehouse on the agreed date and at the agreed time, and will be delivered to the consignee on the date stated in the contract. What happens between those two points is the freight forwarder's responsibility. For the customer, this means that it will not need an employee to keep track of the delivery. That in itself represents a cost saving.

What are the advantages of using a freight forwarder?

Why use a freight forwarder? Because in this way you save time and money, while keeping full control over your goods from the moment they leave your warehouse until they are delivered to the final consignee. Here is what that means in practical terms:

Lower shipping costs

Usually, when a company has goods to deliver, it turns to a transport company. Most of the time this is a local one. The result is a fairly limited offer, and the manufacturer is often forced to accept the terms imposed by the carriers.

A forwarding company, by contrast, has contacts with numerous carriers, local or international, which widens the market of offers.

In addition, by working regularly with various transport companies, a freight forwarder negotiates more advantageous terms, given the much larger quantity of goods carried. As a result, the freight forwarder benefits from a lower price than a manufacturing company would obtain when booking transport for occasional deliveries.

The shortest and cheapest route

When you turn to a carrier, it will propose delivering the goods strictly with its own means of transport, which it needs to keep busy. Very often this is not to the customer's benefit.

A freight forwarder, on the other hand, routinely uses all existing modes of transport, namely road, rail, sea, air or multimodal transport, as well as ancillary operations, namely logistics services, cargo handling, customs formalities and insurance .

If you turn to a road carrier, it will, for example, propose carrying the goods with its own trucks, regardless of duration or cost. A freight forwarder has a database that allows it to identify the shortest and most cost-efficient route. A freight forwarder can therefore propose combined solutions that bring together several modes of transport.

Given that a freight forwarder has well-established contacts with numerous partners, the forwarding agent may decide that it is more advantageous to deliver the goods by air or by sea.

Organisation and efficiency

There is another way in which the freight forwarder can ensure low transport costs. This involves combining several deliveries as groupage. Working with a large number of customers, the freight forwarder can combine two small-volume deliveries to the same destination, obtaining a lower cost per delivery than if it carried out the shipments separately.

The same holds true for transport companies. When a transport company receives an order to carry a small volume of goods, such a contract is not profitable. The only way to make a profit is to charge a high rate, which may be prohibitive for the manufacturing company. By working with a freight forwarder, a carrier can solve the problem by combining several deliveries in a single transport.

The forwarding agent will take into account all the transport costs, including port costs, customs costs, the costs of special documentation and the costs related to insurance. The agent will also bear in mind the customer's priorities, such as whether the transport is urgent. After a careful assessment of the costs, the freight forwarder will propose to the customer the most efficient route for shipping the goods.

Safety of the shipment

A freight forwarder assumes the same liability as the carrier. This also covers the performance of all ancillary operations, from taking over the goods from the seller to delivering the goods to the buyer. For example, the forwarding agent can give advice on the proper packing and labelling of the goods. This is necessary above all in the case of international transport. The agent will also make sure that the customs documents meet the legal requirements. Why? So that you do not end up in the unpleasant situation of a consignment being held up at customs because of inadequate documentation.

As for the transport itself, a freight forwarder always makes sure that the chosen carrier's insurance is paid up to date. The consignor can thus be compensated should an unforeseen situation arise.

At the same time, the freight forwarder checks the reliability of the transport company. We make sure that it has had no problems with theft, damage to goods or missed delivery deadlines.

Last but not least, a freight forwarder routinely uses the newest and most efficient means of monitoring shipments. These include GPS devices; GPS equipment and the method of tracking are confirmed for the vehicle and the trip concerned.

Handling unforeseen situations

If an unforeseen situation arises, the freight forwarder takes responsibility for resolving it in the shortest possible time. A company with a high volume of business and numerous domestic and international partners, such as Honexpres, draws on its experience and its contacts to find the best solution. The customer is thus spared any worries about the transport of the goods.

Tailored solutions for any type of transport

Using a freight forwarder is the best solution when a special transport is involved. This applies whether it is an oversized transport or perishable, fragile or very high-value products. Few local carriers have the equipment and experience needed to carry out such transports in conditions of maximum safety.

Why choose Honexpres?

Here is what recommends us:

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Experience

The freight forwarder Honexpres has grown on the basis of our experience in domestic and international transport. The experience gained as a transport company has allowed us to understand all the challenges that can arise in the course of a freight shipment. Having faced the most varied problems, we have identified the best measures for preventing them. The problems may relate to the correct preparation of the documentation or to ensuring the safety of our transports. With the freight forwarder Honexpres, the carrier's CMR insurance and the amount covered are confirmed for the vehicle and the trip concerned.

The right vehicle for each trip

Honexpres organises road transport with the vehicle suited to the goods and the route. For express transport, vehicles of up to 3.5 tonnes are used. For other transport, vehicles with a tonnage of between 7.5 and 40 tonnes are used. The tonnage can be even higher if necessary. The type of vehicle, its equipment and the documents are confirmed for the trip concerned.

In addition, GPS tracking is confirmed for the vehicle and the trip concerned. Where it is available, customers can find out where their goods are.

Preferential contracts with domestic and international carriers

With its extensive experience in the field, the freight forwarder Honexpres offers advantageous prices. This is thanks to its network of cooperation with domestic and international carriers. The range of transport types includes road, rail, sea or air transport. Honexpres can arrange the hire of rail, sea or air transport space. By combining several deliveries in a single shipment we can offer a far more competitive price than a company would obtain by trying to ship goods independently by air or by sea.

Simplified customs procedures

How many times have you found yourself with goods held up at customs? By using a freight forwarder such as Honexpres you can avoid such problems. Most companies that deal with freight shipments are authorised economic operators. They therefore benefit from simplified customs procedures. For example, using an authorised economic operator allows the deferred payment of import duties and of the other charges that would have to be paid before the goods leave customs.

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