International shipping is not simple or cheap. It is a long process and if you don’t provide proper information you won’t get an accurate quote. Information is crucial and to avoid any surprise cost you must provide the company with every information that they ask.
Here is a guide to help you in getting the best freight quote from any company.
To get the best freight quote, you need to give the company accurate information about the goods you are planning to ship. This information can include:
• Type of good
• Dimensions of the goods
• Weight of the goods
• Is it fragile or an expensive item such as an art or collector piece?
Use this list to accurately specify your goods. This will help the company in figuring out how your goods will be packaged and shipped and they will be able to provide you with a more accurate freight quote.
Other details you need to provide the company include the location you want your goods to be shipped to. Different destinations will have different charges. Some countries might even have some restrictions or requirements’ so giving a location is always important.
Tell the time you want your goods to be shipped in. If you urgently want to send cargo then that costs more than normal deliveries. You also need to choose if you want to ship through the air, ocean or rail. Although the freight company will tell you more accurately which mode of transport will suit your needs best.
Every single piece of information is essential for calculating a fair quote.
This means that if you ship to a certain location regularly then it might be a better idea to expand the items and ship less frequently but with more goods. So your shipment will automatically become larger but less frequent.
This will reduce your cost by a huge margin and you will be able to send in more items at a lower than cost than you previously did. This is a great option for businesses that ship items regularly.
While this may not be a given that they will reduce freight quotes, it doesn’t hurt to try. Now to do it more effectively you can ask different companies for quotes and ask the company you want to choose to match a quote.
Research what is a shipping peak season in your area and avoid shipping any goods during those months. The rates are much higher during a peak season and you will have no choice as every company shoots up their freight rates during a busy season.
Follow this checklist and you are good to go. Have all the information that is necessary before you ask companies for quotes and roll up your sleeves to do a little bargaining!
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