A few years ago I was placed in the position where I needed to ship cargo overseas, this task became a bit of a nightmare to arrange , although I did eventually sort it, so I decided to write this article in the hope that it may help others who need to send any cargo overseas.
Start At The Beginning?
Right let’s start at the beginning, you need to send something to another country or overseas that is not classed as normal post therefore falls into the category of “freight or cargo” now this can be anything from static objects to live cargo, for example a pet.
I would suggest that right from the very outset you do yourself a huge favour and employ the services of a freight forwarder, these are companies or individuals who will collect and prepare your cargo for delivery and also take care of all the paper work involved with the whole shipping process, believe me the price these people charge is well worth the potential hassle that preparing the paper work incorrectly will create. Just remember a good freight forwarder will have prepared paper work many time for all types of freight and will not make mistakes they will also know exactly the correct type of packaging to use for your desired cargo and if your cargo requires tax status codes (shipping into the UK will need this) the freight forwarder will do all this for you.
Large Shipping Container Ship
I once shipped cargo from China to the UK and the tax status codes were almost impossible to fathom, I chose the wrong code, when filling out the shipping papers and although I did get my shipment eventually it was delayed by weeks, a freight forwarder would have prevented this.
Here Are Some Points To bear In Mind When Hiring A Freight Forwarder.
Try and ensure that your freight forwarder is licensed, those that ship via air are licensed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and those that ship cargo overseas by ship are licensed by the Federal Maritime Commission .
Remember to allow for shipping services in your overall costs.
Maybe the freight forwarder is a member of a professional organisation such as the WorlCargoAlliance, it may be a good idea to ask the question.
How Much Will This Cost?
It is a great idea to try and work the cost to ship your cargo overseas prior to contacting any freight forwarders so that you have a good idea of what the cost may be. I would personally use the many on-line calculators designed just for this task, just go to your favourite search engine and type in “international shipping calculators” or alternatively “ overseas shipping calculators” they are normally provided by companies offering overseas cargo services but hey, you don’t have to use them.
What Company Should I Use To Ship cargo Overseas?
That question is a bit like asking, “How long is a piece of string” there are probably thousands of companies that could adequately deal with your shipping, research is the key here.