Key Benefits of Using Digital Transportation Provider

A shipper sends an email to their ocean freight forwarder or air cargo provider with a request. The forwarder reviews the requests and (in most cases) sends an email back to the shipper requesting more shipment information.

Fremont, CA: Shippers who use online platforms for ocean freight and air cargo freight quotes gain a competitive advantage in terms of operations and costs. Digital platforms, when combined with integrated ocean freight tracking and air cargo tracking, are unquestionably the future of transportation.

Assume a shipper has an 850-pound pallet of cargo ready to be shipped from New York to London. How does that company get a comprehensive range of ocean shipping options and ocean freight rates? Maybe it's a good idea to look into air freight options as well? What about international door-to-door service?

Behind the scenes, activity is slow and inefficient in a "traditional" freight forwarder model, which still accounts for the majority of the market.

Here are the steps: A shipper sends an email to their ocean freight forwarder or air cargo provider with a request. The forwarder reviews the requests and (in most cases) sends an email back to the shipper requesting more shipment information. This could include the requirement for a commodity description, total weight and dimensions, the actual point of pickup, and the final point of delivery. Once all requirements have been established, the provider will begin assembling the elements of the quote one step at a time.

To begin, the ltl freight pickup service and cost must be obtained. Because most freight forwarders do not have ltl freight contracts, they rely on third-party providers who are not part of their existing operating system. Because all LTL carriers are unable to meet international freight requirements, this requires a few steps.

The provider must then start looking for ocean freight rates. This entails reviewing internal spreadsheets and emails to see if their contracts cover the requested trade lanes. In the case of LCL freight, they send emails or log into the platforms of various LCL freight consolidators.

Finally, the time-consuming task of sending emails to overseas partners and agents begins with requests for final destination handling and delivery costs. This can take several days due to different time zones and business practices. Not to mention, the overseas partners are manually emailing their respective trucking providers to inquire about delivery costs.