Freight marketplaces for ocean freight are gaining in popularity. But does this online booking option really align with your needs as a shipper? Here’s an overview of things to consider when examining the freight forwarder vs freight marketplace choice.
Sometimes the volume of your ocean shipment easily makes up a full containerload (FCL). Sometimes the shipment is small enough to make less-than-containerload (LCL) service the best option. But the choice between FCL vs LCL shipping isn’t always clear cut. What to do then?
Here are some factors to keep in mind as you decide which service to use.
Nine of the top 20 countries that sell goods into Canada are in Europe, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. If you want to learn how to make this trade route more profitable through efficient global transportation, here’s a quick guide.
If you’re new to international shipping, you might be confused by the various terms used for service providers that handle cargo. For example: NVOCC vs. freight forwarder. What’s the difference between these two kinds of companies? What does each one do, and how do you know which one to approach when you have a shipment to arrange?
An alarming number of shippers these days are desperately searching for someone to rescue their containers. The problem? Companies contract with steamship lines for door-to-door cargo shipping, and then the lines provide terrible service. Sometimes containers even get stranded at ports or rail terminals for weeks.
How can you avoid those problems? Let’s take a look.
Port congestion, tight capacity, container shortages and other woes, all linked to pandemic-induced disruptions, have shippers tearing their hair out over ocean shipping transit time.
No one expects the global transportation pipeline to get back to normal anytime soon. But by deploying a few smart techniques you could, in some cases, shave some time off your ocean transit.
Container shipping rates were bad enough at the start of 2021, but today they’re even steeper. As of May, transporting a container from Europe to the US costs $2,000 to $3,000 more than it did in January.
In the current market, there’s no room to negotiate with ocean carriers. But with the right strategy, it’s still possible to reduce your shipping costs.
When you need a freight forwarder to handle your overseas shipments, you face a dizzying number and variety of choices, from huge global enterprises to smaller specialty firms. How to choose a freight forwarder that matches your needs? The answer isn’t simple.
Here’s a look at what to expect as you evaluate possible partners, large and small.
Oversize freight often crosses the ocean in specialized containers, especially on flat racks. But for some cargo, break bulk shipping is a better option. Here’s a look at what can make break bulk a good choice for oversize freight, with some advice about how to ship break bulk successfully.
Atlantic Ocean freight has become a tough business. Companies that ship cargo from Europe to the US are waiting longer and paying a good deal to secure space on trans-Atlantic vessels. The situation probably won’t ease up until the second half of the year.
