Commonly Asked Questions On Rates Offered By Freight Forwarding Companies

What is meant by LTL?
LTL is an abbreviation for Less Than Truckload and refers to shipments between 100 to 20000 pounds in weight. If the items to be shipped are too large for local parceling purposes, freight is an affordable alternative. You can leverage services of freight forwarding companies to transport bulk items quickly without raising costs too much.
How to know the NMFC or freight class number?
Freight class is determined by the culmination of factors like value, weight, damage likelihood, density as well as how easy the item is for moving. As per the NMFC or National Motor Freight Traffic Association, every item is classified as per codes into definite categories. Be very accurate in the description when getting the freight class for your item to be shipped. This will help you prevent incurring extra costs of shipping from freight forwarding companies. You can simply contact our brokers to assess the appropriate class for the items you want to ship.
How To Package Items?
Secure and proper packaging of items is critical. This avoids damage. Make sure to crate, package, secure and stack freight items and secure these with shrink-wrap, banding or adhesive. Place labels on all freight piece. If the items are not packaged properly, it can negate or decrease any liabilities the freight forwarding companies have when it comes to loss or damage claims.
Is it possible to determine shipment weight?
It is critical that you determine the exact weight of items being shipped by the freight forwarding companies. freight forwarding companies have the authority to weigh the items at any situation during transportation and hence mentioning approximate weights are not enough. Inaccurate weight measurements can result in rebilling at a non-discounted price and you will incur more costs.
What is BOL or Bill of Lading?
BOL is a mandatory and standard paperwork, which provides both driver and freight forwarding companies with requisite information on freight rates and information. Such paperwork facilitates proper billing procedures and all involved parties need to have BOL copy.
What is the importance of using your paperwork?
Since we deal with bulk shipments of large volumes, we provide cheaper freight rates for you. If the due paperwork and BOL provided by us is changed or not in use, freight forwarding companies would not know that you are to be billed at discounted rates. Hence to avail discounted freight rates, be sure to use our BOL.
Do residential services incur a fee?
If there is freight shipment to non-commercial areas, there are delivery fees involved. These areas include farms, residences, apartments, churches, schools and other remote locations. If the location has limited access, the costs can further change. These areas include military bases, construction sites and facilities of storage or camps. Just contact our representative to know if your location qualifies as one of these categories.
How much in advance should I schedule the pickup?
This depends on the booking time as per the individual time zone. We try out best to schedule pickups the same day. If this is an urgent booking or needs special arrangements, just contact our representative. The freight pickup follows a four-hour timeframe when it comes to pickup. Another aspect to note is that most of the freight forwarding companies will schedule pickups during afternoons and provide deliveries in the morning.
Should I be there at the pickup?
A person authorized for the signature of the BOL and freight shipment should be personally present during pickup. Once the driver from the freight forwarding companies arrives and if the authorized person or freight is unavailable, the person would not wait. In such cases, an extra charge maybe incurred to re-dispatch the shipment.
Is there guarantee on transit times?
There is no guarantee on freight transit periods unless this is specifically provided within the freight quote when you booked the shipping rates. Delivery times are merely approximates and though reliable offer no guarantee. These time periods start one day after the freight pickup.
What is the method of claim handling?
If the freight reaches you in damaged condition, you need to accept shipment to file the claim properly and document it accurately. You need to file for the claim within 48 hours post delivery. You can easily file the claim using our website. We will function as your liaison and help you to process the claim as well as the filing of appropriate paperwork. However, we cannot provide guarantee that all the claims are going to get accepted by the freight forwarding companies.
Is there insurance of my shipment?
There is no guarantee on freight transit periods unless this is specifically provided within the freight quote when you booked the shipping rates. Delivery times are merely approximates and though reliable offer no guarantee. These time periods start one day after the freight pickup.
Who will be involved in the actual transport of the shipment?
We are freight brokers who leverage trucks from biggest and most credible freight forwarding companies. You can check the comprehensive listing of carriers on our site as well as associated freight rates for shipping.
Will the rates quoted by you be final?
Since we ship large volumes via our network comprising prominent freight forwarding companies, we provide you bulk discounted rates. Based on information furnished to us during booking, we offer you the appropriate lowest freight rates. If there happen to be differences in class, weight, location or size, extra shipping costs can be incurred by you. Make sure to use the BOL from us to get access to discounted shipping rates.
What will happen if I get a bill from the freight forwarding company directly?
You can contact us at __ at our customer service division and fax us the copy of the bill. This can happen if the BOL provided by us has not been used during pickup. This causes double booking and a subsequent rate change. Our brokers will handle all associated paperwork and credit the charges as applicable once we are notified.
Is there a way to prevent rebilling from happening?
Once you get a freight quote, the commodity type, dimensions, weight, delivery and pickup locations as well as distance will impact the cost of freight delivery. To avoid changes in rates make sure information furnished during booking is accurate and complete. Be honest about weight, size and contents of the freight shipment.
For more specialized requirements for my business why do I need to choose your services?
Our broker department manages international, truckload as well as specialty freight shipments. We also handle auto, tradeshow shipping as well as motorcycle shipping, barge, rail, white glove and furniture shipping. Irrespective of your unique freight shipment requirements, we find you the most affordable solution possible. We provide excellent freight shipment solutions. We provide you the best combination of value, pricing and service.