It may seem easy to ship things from one place to another. All you have to do is find a mode of transport that is big enough to hold the shipment and send it off on its way. If it really was that simple, there would be no need for freight brokers. Freight brokers are the people that can make all of the arrangements to ensure that a shipment is able to arrive where it is supposed to get to intact, undamaged and on time. There are many things that can cause problems in the shipping process. A good freight broker is able to navigate their way through all of the complications of freight shipping to make sure that the shipment arrives the way it is supposed to. Consider some of the things that can happen when it comes to freight and shipping.
- Method of transportation – The size of the shipment and what is in the shipment can make it difficult to find the proper mode of shipping. Options include trucks, rail, planes, and boats. Some shipments may require numerous modes of transportation. An international shipment may require traveling by boat to get from one country to another. Once it has arrived at the destination country, shipping by truck may be necessary to get it to its final destination.
- Storage of shipment – There may be some time between when the freight arrives at the place where it is to be shipped from until it is actually loaded onto the mode of transportation for shipping. When shipping by boat, it may be necessary to store the shipment while waiting for the boat to arrive or while waiting for it to leave the port. The freight shipping broker needs to be able to arrange for that storage and is going to have to make sure the shipment is kept safe during that time.
- Paperwork – Anything that is being shipped requires paperwork. If the paperwork is not filled out properly, it can cause delays or it can cause the shipment to be seized. This is especially important when it comes to shipping internationally. Freight and shipping brokers need to know the rules of what is allowed in a country and what type of documentation is needed to allow the shipment to be accepted in the different countries. When moving through more than one country, the paperwork can be even more complicated.
These are only a few of the details that a freight broker has to deal with. Their clients only expect their shipments to arrive on time and undamaged. It is up to the freight broker to make sure that is able to happen and that is not as easy of a task as some people may think.