5 tips to choose the right freight forwarder

Choosing the right freight forwarder is crucial. With all the freight forwarders that are out there, how can you choose the right one? In this article, we will give you 5 simple and valuable tips to ensure that the imports/exports of your valuable pieces are in good hands.

1- Transparency, the key to art logistics

The question of logistics has, for many years and even today, been subject to numerous inefficiencies. Opaque and with a poor willingness to innovate, the industry has become a tiresome jigsaw problem. However, the industry is entering a transformative process: new market entrants, change in customer expectations, digital transformation (PWC, 2019). To remain relevant, companies need to take action now. We believe that an important characteristic to look for when choosing a freight forwarder is transparency. In order to ensure an efficient communication and smoother process handling. Use our dashboard as well as our tracking link to be updated in real time!

2- Reactivity, art transport essential 

How fast does the freight forwarder get back to you on rate requests or questions? Rapidity to get a quote can be a real game changer for your business. Indeed, many galleries have experienced difficulty selling because of a lack of adapted shipping solutions. Furthermore, reactivity is essential in the logistics industry which can, from time to time, be quite complex. This is why you need to find an agile company that will be able to deploy risk mitigation techniques and respond swiftly in case of urgency. Having someone that is responsive over the phone or by email can completely change your experience. Our instant quoting model allows you to get the price of your transport in less than a minute!

3-  Expertise, freight forwarders' skillset

Make sure that the freight forwarder you choose understands the type of product you want to ship and the challenges related to it. Although containers all look the same, shipping art and high end design furniture requires true expertise obtained through years of specialised soft-packing, wood-crating, transport handling, and other tasks associated with shipping these kind of valuable pieces with special care. We select our partners based on their expertise!

4- Pricing & Services, competitive transports

Make sure that you know what is included in the quotes that you receive. For instance, customs clearance is an important point to consider. Knowing if the company has agents taking care of clearance at customs and all the administrative paper is essential. Considering that the logistics industry has traditionally been quite opaque and intent on taking high margins doing some test quotes and benchmarks before finally choosing a company can be extremely useful to identify fair pricing and boost your bargaining power. We provide a detailed list of what services are included in your quote (and we developed a special Art & Logistics dictionary for you to never be fooled again)!

5- Customer service, unique and tailored logistics

An excellent freight forwarding company is one with an excellent customer service. Pre-delivery and post-delivery follow ups are essential to build a comprehensive client experience. How good is your freight forwarder at taking care of your individual needs? How easy is the communication with your point of contact? For instance, the collection of feedback is an excellent characteristic of a company that wants to improve and care for its clients. Do not hesitate to contact us! We will be very happy to support you!

September 24, 2019