Whether moving your own goods or for business reasons, it is important that you choose the correct freight forwarder or international removals company. These are inevitably for reasons that need not be explained however you may not realise the amount of criteria you should check before you decided to use a particular company.
The first thing you should always check is whether the company is fully licensed. Just because the company has the transportation does not always mean that they are legitimate so check their license. Never feel like you cannot ask them to see the appropriate documentation.
Of course in these times of financial instability and uncertainty it is vital that you check to see if the international removals company is financially stable. Of course there may be no way of fully finding this out but checking to see how long the company has been in existence is a good indicator of a financially stable business. Also if you need more information on this you can get help from trade references and commercial banks.
Check to see if your freight forwarder has handled the goods you want transporting before. This is purely for your piece of mind as you want the freight forwarder to take good care of your goods. It is beneficial for you to choose a freight forwarder who understands the goods in which they are transporting.
Understand your freight forwarder and make sure that you can communicate with them as of when you need them. Being able to communicate when you need to is vital and the freight forwarder should have a reliable point of contact at all times.
Check the company’s reference and testimonials to see their track record. If these are not readily available then ask; a good company will be more than happy to provide these details.
Check to see the time in which it takes to get your goods to a certain destination. If you are unsure when best to start transporting goods a good freight forwarder should have a very good idea of how long it can take so you can build a strategy of delivery. Again looking at their track record is another good way of knowing how reliable the company is.
Most importantly you should check to see if the freight forwarder has errors and omissions insurance. Remember mistakes can happen no matter how good the freight forwarder is and a minor error in documentation can delay the time it takes for your goods to be delivered.
Of course there are many more things you should look out for but these are a good initial guideline for choosing a freight forwarder that suits you. Like with any business if you have any doubts about the company whatsoever then it is best not to deal with them. The chemistry after all is the most important and if it is not present then nine times out of ten you will not feel comfortable and you start off on the wrong foot from the off.
Remember it’s your good that are being transported so make sure you are fully in control.
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