Choosing the best ocean freight forwarder is not a straightforward process. Shipping is a complicated process that involves paperwork, logistics, timeliness and money. If you ship lots of goods internationally this becomes even more complicated because there are more parties involved.
Finding a decent ocean freight forwarder can be difficult. We reviewed dozens of companies, and still struggle to maintain good relationships with various carriers and forwarders. So we decided to create this list of what we believe are the top ocean freight forwarders in the world. Our selection criteria was based on finding forwarders that offer a broad number of services and support, are able to provide worldwide coverage, and are affordable (at least as far as ocean freight rates go). Our criteria ensured that we would receive a large number of applications from many companies who pride themselves on offering great service. Through our research, we compiled a list of the top 5 ocean freight forwarders in the world.
What is Ocean Freight Forwarding?
Ocean freight forwarding is a logistics service that plans, organizes, secures and transports cargo from the shipper to the receiver. There are a variety of modes to transport goods by sea. Cargo too heavy to be transported per shipment can be transferred into another mod (Bulk cargo). Ocean freight is often quoted without including the hidden costs of ocean freight shipping. These hidden costs can vary between 7-20% of the value of the ocean freight shipment and are commonly referred to as terminal handling charges or Terminal Handling Charges (THC).
Ocean freight is the transportation of goods via ocean-going vessels. It provides further seaborne transfer of goods along international trade routes. The shipments allow businesses to ship large volumes of low-weight, high-value, temperature-sensitive items, such as consumer electronics and fashion clothing. According to the International Trade Centre (ITC), ocean freight in 2010 accounted for 3.7 billion tons and US$ 805 billion worth of goods. By 2013, this had grown 10% on back of an increase in global trade volume mainly due to Asia’s markets.
Sea freight forwarder
Nowadays a sea freight forwarder is widely used by every business organization for the transportation of their goods. While it may be a bit tricky to choose the best cargo shipping company for your online import export business, there are several tips which will genuinely help you to find the best one in terms of delivering excellent services.
If you wished to import or export general goods, there is a high probability that sea freight would be involved somehow. If you lose your shipment at sea there can also be pitfalls in terms of financial reimbursement from cargo insurers and shipping lines.
Sea freight forwarding is a process of handling movements of goods from one place to another. Moving cargoes by sea is the oldest mode of transportation and also the most cost-effective for bulk goods. The shipping industry has been growing significantly over the last few years, largely due to its flexibility. Regardless of whether you are shipping out a 1000-ton cargo container or a small private yacht, you will find the service you need.