I am telling you.., this freight forwarding job isn’t boring. I have always felt that I needed to provide useful shipping information to my readers and our existing shippers.

You would think that 30+ years on the job would subdue my enthusiasm, but it definitely has not! Currently, our freight forwarding air import department has been handling weekly air freight shipments of machinery coming from of all places, Kiev, Ukraine. These shipments are air freighted, cleared through the US Customs, and dispatched all over the US with inland deliveries duty paid.

Disclosure: some opinions on this blog are mine alone. Any relation to any living or breathing thing is purely coincidental.

With a weaker dollar, shippers’ requests to export are growing.

When US exporters ship, the international forwarders come across interesting shipments that can be rather large and heavy, which sometimes undermine air freighting over ocean freighting shipping methods.

Exhibitions and trade shows are a vital means for companies across many different industries to showcase their goods or services and get in front of potential new clientele.

For many global organizations, this means attending trade shows overseas and ultimately entails shipping not only the goods you plan to showcase but also the materials to properly merchandise a booth as well.

Every year thousands of suppliers organize the shipping of dismantled booths and products utilizing the expertise of international freight forwarders through LCL consolidation. Here are some of the challenges you're sure to encounter and how to sidestep with the help of your freight forwarder.

It's a big job

Your international freight forwarder should offer an array of freight services, ranging from packing and crating, trucking, warehousing, storage, distribution, customs clearance, or air & ocean services.

However, there are times when even more services are needed. For example, right now we're working with a shipper using their own containers, and it's opening up a whole new level of challenges that we can help with.

Are your oversized shipments inflating your problems?

Oversized shipping is STRESSFUL! Not only are your options limited compared to those who can fit their cargo into a 20 or 40 foot container, but the costs can really start to stack up without the proper planning.

No two shipments are alike. You may be somebody who ships single boxes or containers or thousands... And maybe you're used to dealing with oversize shipping challenges.

Regardless, here are the things you should be thinking about when standard doesn't meet your standards!

Is your freight making a round trip?

Freight costs are just apart of life. No matter how advanced we become, we still need you to move products from one place to the next, and there's going to be a premium.

But if your freight is going round-trip, there are some significant costs that can be cut if you use an ATA Carnet.

Here's how to identify whether YOUR shipment qualifies and several other answers to frequently asked questions.

Specialty Freight Services don't always walk a straight line

There are many universal truths to consider when shipping internationally, especially when trying to figure out how to get the cheapest rates. We have to think about the ever-changing landscapes with logistics networks, customs, rules & regulations, and the perceptions of those using our services.

To keep it straight, I came up with a  list of 3 things to always be thinking about.