Domestic and international shipping are very different. Managing transportation within the US can be complex and volatile – no one is saying it isn’t difficult – but the details of coordinating the average truckload or LTL shipment don’t compare to the complexities of shipping internationally.
The main reason for the differences are that every cross-border shipment is subject to laws, regulations, duties, and paperwork requirements that take country and mode-specific expertise to understand. A failure to miss any small detail related to paperwork or procedure will result in delivery delays at best – and big fines at worst.
Spend 5 minutes trying to figure out how to rate the simplest ocean cargo shipment and you’ll begin to understand why. For most small and medium sized shippers, international logistics works best with a partner, here’s a few reasons why.
For one, ocean cargo and global air freight operate in a completely different way than truckload.
Equipment types, routing options, transit times, and the aforementioned freight rate structures are unique to each mode. A bad routing choice based on any of these criteria can affect the cost of a shipment by 10x or more. Working with a partner who understands the options can provide guidance to make sure you make the right routing choice – one that minimizes costs and ensures an on-time delivery.
It’s also important to have experience and be able to anticipate the bottlenecks.
International shipping is paperwork intensive to say the least. When it comes to shipping documentation, there are no free passes and ignorance is no excuse. Experience enables pre-planning to overcome issues that create delays with the usual headaches such as customs or in-transit issues caused by market conditions like port congestion. Not to mention, the technology to perform shipment track and trace and other logistics functions is unique to international shipping.
For many shippers, the key to overcoming the challenges of international shipping is with the right partnership. Experience matters and is the best way to ensure your international shipments are delivered at the best rate and on time.
Ready to simplify your International Shipping? Then contact me, Mike Rogers, and together we can determine how you can implement a better International Logistics strategy into your Supply Chain game plan. I can be reached at miker@4way.com.
