The freight forwarding process is the flow of shipment and goods from two

destinations carried out by a freight forwarder. Businesses that want to

grow and expand should consider trading on an international level.
Shipping items in and out might present an opportunity to expand
customer-base but can become very complex very fast. Logistics for
international trade can become complicated, thus requiring the need for
freight forwarders to help.

HOW FREIGHT
FORWARDERS HELP
WITH THE FREIGHT
FORWARDING PROCESS
Freight forwarders are the people in the middle responsible for the
facilitation of the shipping. Although they do not do the shipping
themselves, freight forwarding services are much more specialized to the
process. It’s important that they understand international trade, the
regulations of trade and how to ship on behalf of a company that
requires shipment throughout the world.
Freight forwarding agents do not ship cargo directly. Rather, they employ transportation companies to aid and
assist in this procedure during the logistics process.

These freight forwarding firms employ agents that can handle paperwork
and documentation for shipping and receiving logistics. Their objectives are
to ensure a company’s goods are properly shipped and arrive by the
specified date. They will handle everything from cargo manifests to
insurance claims and even ship items on internal bills of lading.
STAGES OF THE
FREIGHT FORWARDING
PROCESS
STAGE 1 – EXPORT HAULAGE
The movement of items from a shipper’s location to the freight forwarders
warehouse is called export haulage. This usually requires the help of a
truck or train to move the them. How long it takes depends on the distance,
geographical location and what the items are. This first stage can take
anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks.
 The first step in the freight forwarding process is to transport the cargo to the freight forwarding firm’s
warehouse.

STAGE 2 – ITEMS CHECKPOINT

Immediately following the export haulage stage, freight forwarders
receiving the goods will check to see and ensure everything was
transported without incidents.
STAGE 3 – EXPORT CUSTOMS
CLEARANCE
Before items can be shipped off it requires clearance from the country of
origin. This process is performed by customs brokers. They are required to
submit details about the cargo and any supporting documents that are
needed. Usually, an agreement is established between the shipper and
consignee who is responsible for this process. If a freight forwarding
company does not offer this service, it is required to find a third-
party customs broker service.

STAGE 4 – IMPORT CUSTOMS

CLEARANCE
Once the shipment arrives, authorities in the destination country are
required to check import customs documents. The secret to this stage is
that it can begin before the cargo even arrives. It is the responsibility of the
freight forwarder or nominated customs broker to perform this clearance by
the time the cargo arrives.

STAGE 5 – DESTINATION ARRIVAL

AND HANDLING
This stage involves a number of different processes once the cargo arrives.
At this point, freight forwarders will receive all documents for the cargo,
including outstanding documentation, carrier bills and more. This process is
always taken care of by the freight forwarder.
 Once the cargo arrives at the destination, freight forwarders will transport and handle all items to ensure no
incidents occurred during transport.

STAGE 6 – IMPORT HAULAGE

Almost identical to export haulage, this process transports the cargo from
the warehouse to the final destination of the intended receiver. This
process can be facilitated by freight forwarders or the consignee can
choose to collect the cargo themselves.

FREIGHT FORWARDING
PROCESS HELPS
CREATE SUCCESS FOR
BUSINESSES
The steps above are the general outline for the freight forwarding process
that most companies will undergo for international trade. The freight
forwarder roles also include charting out proper routes and finding the best
travel options for the consignee. This may include routes by air
travel, ground travel, and by sea. Depending on the kinds of goods and
cargo being shipped will determine the freight forwarding services needed
for the success of businesses.