Cross-border transport continues to grow as companies expand their business operations and customer bases outside their country. But looking beyond your borders, at least as far as shipping goes, often comes with an entirely new set of challenges and complexities.
Selecting a Cross-Border Transport Provider
That’s why your choice in cross-border carrier is so important. You’re relying on that company to transport your goods without problems, and many of these problems come with delays, fines, and even loss in business. Miss just one piece of paperwork and your goods could be hung up for days. Worse yet, you could be out thousands of dollars.
When searching for cross-border transport, we recommend you look for the following:
Customs Experience
Border transfer can be one of the most complex pieces to freight management. That’s why finding a carrier with experience in guiding people through the process is paramount. Not only will it help ensure all the necessary paperwork is filed correctly, but you can rest assured the carrier can handle any issues should one arise.
You should be able to easily gauge the level of your carriers experience with cross-border transportation through a conversation. Make sure you understand who is responsible for each stage of the process, as miscommunication over these details can be very disastrous.
Proven Security Measures
Security is critical when moving goods across borders, and the most important component to security is visibility. Hire cross-border transport carriers with the technology to monitor shipment progress. Track and trace capabilities and system-wide alerts are just a few of the technologies you want in a carrier. Working with a carrier that is far behind the industry benchmark for technological capabilities is a dangerous endeavor that may come around to burn you. The up-to-date technology and visibility can also aid in creating more accountability on the part of your carrier.
Firsthand Knowledge
Even with all the technology available, you can’t beat firsthand knowledge of the shipping destination. When a shipping company regularly moves cargo to an area, it knows the best routes to take. They also know the customs procedures as well as whether a certain mode of transport would be a better decision.
Before working with any carrier, ensure that they have moved goods – not once or twice, but multiple times – to the location you are planning on shipping to. Every country is different, and if your carrier isn’t completely informed on the exact procedures required to move goods into a foreign location, you risk harming your reputation with the country’s customs, losing money, and racking up a ton of unnecessary fees.
Transport options
Whenever moving freight, especially with a cross-border transport carrier, you want options. A shipping company with intermodal services ensures you get the best recommendation for mode of transport based on your particular needs — as well as the deadline, location, volume, and frequency of shipment.
Variety and options are the name of the game when it comes to selecting a carrier. Although a cross-border transport carrier may tell you that they are capable of utilizing a particular mode of transportation, there is a drastic difference between capabilities and specialties. Are you certain that the carrier you are looking at has developed relationships with intermodal, road, airway, and steamship companies? If not, it may be in your best interest to keep looking.
Whether or not you use a multitude of different modes in your current shipping processes, having information on the pricing and transit time differences between different modes can aid you in making a more informed decision – but not if your carrier isn’t capable of fulfilling those wishes. The best part about working with a carrier with cross-border options is that you can always be in the know on what your best shipping methods will be for projects of any scale.
The Big Takeaway
Cross-border transport is an entirely different game than shipping in your home turf . And it’s not one that you want to leave in the hands up just anybody. More important than any step of the carrier-selection process is research.
Choosing the right carrier for cross-border transport does more than eliminate any confusion or frustration over paperwork. It often ensures your goods will smoothly go through customs with little risk of damage and security issues. It’s all about finding a shipping company that manages the process from start to finish — or door-to-door, really.
If you’d like to learn more about cross-border transport, or would like to discuss international shipping, talk with our team at Interlog USA is more than happy to answer any questions for you.