25 Feb
The global marketplace is full of exciting opportunities. If you have export quality goods, you can push your limits beyond local markets and register success at the international level. For this, you need to be smart in selecting your associates and service providers who are knowledgeable and experienced in their fields. At the same time, you must invest in modern technologies to beat the competition and weed out all possible obstacles.
An important part of the global supply chain is extending the reach of your goods in an efficient manner. Undoubtedly, freight booking plays a vital role in this direction. So, what is freight booking? What preparations do you need to make for it? How to do it in the most rewarding and cost-effective manner? Are there any special considerations to keep in mind? Let’s explore answers to these questions.
What is Freight Booking?
In order to export your goods to international locations, you need to approach shipping lines or airlines. These companies operate cargo vessels and aircraft to help in the transition of export consignments in bulk. The space that you hire in these modes of transport is called freight space.
So, freight booking is nothing but booking freight space in vessels or aircraft to ensure the transition of export goods to their intended destinations. Though it looks like a simple task, exporters usually end up making wrong choices leading to unpleasant circumstances.
In general, you must consider some important factors and aspects while booking freight space. Let’s highlight some of them:
- First, you must calculate the overall transition time so that the goods reach your importer well on time.
- Second, you need to consider the types of commodities you want to export.
- Third, you should figure out the total cost estimates and where you can secure some savings.
- Besides, in which part of the year you plan to export can also influence the freight booking process.
- Moreover, it is important that you make it a customized process to match not just your needs, but also to streamline it with other hired services.
Needless to say, it requires a lot of efforts and labour to make a successful and fruitful booking.
Start with Some Good Preparations
Because of such great amount of efforts involved in it, it is better to prepare well to leave no room for mistakes. Here are some tips:
- Know Your Importing Country Needs: Every country has its own rules and regulations when it comes to accepting goods coming from some other country. Avail complete information in this regard from your importer so that you can prepare your consignments for better shipping. Also, know the best routes to reach the destination ports so that you can book a carrier or freight forwarder accordingly.
- Prepare for the Customs: Know what the Australian Customs demands in terms of documents and other formalities to pass your goods for export. Doing so would help you to obtain documents like bill of padding from your shipping company in the prescribed formats. In addition, know about special requirements for prohibited goods, hazardous goods and so on.
- Pack Your Gods Well: In order to make the most out of shipping, it is necessary that you choose good packing materials for your goods. For example, you should decide what would keep your goods from damage, spoiling and exposure to harmful elements during transit. In fact, you can take recommendations from shipping companies in this regard.
- Research about Shipping Companies: Before you actually book the freight space, it makes sense to know about the top players in the company. For this, you can devote some time to know about the reputation, experiences and performances of various service providers. Check out for their online reviews and records.
- Prefer to Insure: You may end up choosing the best shipping company. However, it is in your favour if you decide to insure your goods, even if they are not high in value. Insurance can bring in that additional sigh of relief for the entire transit period. It is a good idea to choose a shipping company which offers cover for the consignments it carries.
How to Book Freight the Best Way?
In order to understand the best way for freight booking, it is apt to draw comparison between the traditional and modern procedures. So, what actually these procedures are:
- Manually
- Electronically, using a software tool
Firstly, it consumes a lot of time and effort to approach different shipping lines in person or on phone. You request quotes, compare rates and other aspects, and spend hours before making the final choice. On the contrary, the software can do each of these tasks within a few minutes. In fact, it leads to instant booking and you receive the confirmations without any long calls or visits.
Secondly, you would never miss the best quote using the software. Due to the number of companies in the market, there are huge chances of limited research and comparisons when done manually. Thirdly, you can save time as well as costs by avoiding human errors that are unavoidable when you carry out manual bookings.
Above all, you can customize the booking process by filling in your own requirements electronically. Based on these needs, the software can suggest the best offers from various service providers. Hence, it becomes hassle-free to select the best one matching your budget in no time and from the comfort of your own office.
In short, to book freight space, you would:
- Buy a good software tool
- Specify your needs based on the current consignment
- Scan the database of results the software offers
- Select the best-looking quotes
- Send instant booking requests to various companies
- Receive fast confirmations online
Apart from this, you may enjoy additional benefits like:
- The ease of selecting extra services from various freight providers. These may include loading, trucking, transporting, unloading and so on.
- Automated request generation, without the need of filling the same information again and again.
- Uninterrupted status tracking, shipment tracking and efficient reporting and so on.
In today’s world, the speed with which you reach your global marketplaces matters a lot. By following the right approach for freight booking, it becomes easier to establish the targeted standing.
