Special freight services
Five tips for choosing the right trusted service provider
Given the significant disruptions experienced by international freight operations, your company may find itself confronted with exceptional, unforeseeable and even critical situations that require special, bespoke freight services that suit your needs.
It is essential to choose a trusted service provider who can help you operate your business and remain competitive, whatever the future may bring.
But what should you consider when choosing a special freight service provider? Which criteria should you focus on?
1 - A service provider that can meet your freight deadlines
In a global economy where speed, urgency and even immediacy are key to a business’s success, it is essential to use the right service provider who can deliver your freight on time.
FROM SUDDEN URGENCY TO TIGHT DELIVERY SCHEDULES, SERVICE PROVIDERS MUST STEP UP TO THE MARK
Companies looking for a trusted freight provider must consider several question in order to identify and select one that can work within their time frames. The service provider must be able to deliver on this strategic challenge with impeccable professionalism.
For companies in the manufacturing, aviation, high-tech, automotive, healthcare, luxury goods, construction, art, shipbuilding, defence and many more sectors, every minute counts.
Companies in that situation must ensure they have a freight provider who is able to instantly respond to their needs and deliver on time in exceptional, urgent and even critical situations.
In short, time must not pose any issues and time frames must not put them under pressure. They must immediately and instantly collect and transport the products. Special freight providers must be able to service their clients’ needs 24/7 and in any situation.
MANAGING TIME FRAMES FOR COMPLEX FREIGHT OPERATIONS
While the ability to deliver on time is an essential criteria for special freight providers, managing time frames for complex or technical operations is an even more crucial ability.
Whether you are sending precious, highly valuable or strategically-important goods, your service provider must have the skills required and sufficient technical and human resources to protect the goods and deliver them on time, regardless of the operation’s complexity.
Whether it involves technical, logistical, regulatory, administrative, customs-related or other complexities, your special freight provider must know how to remove these barriers for its clients and deliver on time, even in exceptional and critical situations.
2 - A service provider that can transport all types of precious items and high value-added goods
Another criteria when choosing your special freight provider is its inclination to collect, transport and deliver any type of product. You should also consider its ability to ensure maximum protection and absolute confidentiality for all the goods entrusted to it.
TRANSPORTING ALL TYPES OF VITAL PRODUCTS
While it is essential to consider the ability to deliver on time when selecting your trusted provider, it is equally important to assess its ability to deliver all types of products, from high value-added goods to precious and sensitive items. As the person or company placing the order, you must ensure your provider can do this.
Only a trusted service provider can meet such high standards by offering a bespoke service in terms of service quality, operational excellence and technical proficiency.
It must also be able to meet all special transport needs, which may involve:
PROVIDING MAXIMUM PROTECTION AND COMPLETE CONFIDENTIALITY
Special freight providers must also possess a superior level of expertise in protecting transported goods as well as in ensuring the complete confidentiality for the products and goods it collects and delivers.
The priority in any situation must be the security of the goods and products entrusted to the freight provider, and their preservation from any damage during the freight journey. The same applies to the service provider’s ability to deliver a high quality customer experience, regardless of the type of goods to be transported or the destination.
Furthermore, for many companies discretion and confidentiality are an essential part of their business and can even play a key role in their market success.
Special freight providers must be equal to this challenge, providing everything required to ensure the goods remain anonymous at every step in the freight service: from processing paperwork to handling and final destination delivery.
3 - A service provider able to manage complex operations
The ability to organise complex operations is a key criteria when selecting your special freight provider. This reveals its technical expertise and know-how, and proves to you that it can handle any issues you may encounter.
PROVIDING LOGISTICAL SERVICES TAILORED TO YOUR CHALLENGES
The pandemic has disrupted regional and global freight flows, making it essential to find a service provider able to handle complex operations. This provides the guarantee that you can continue to operate your business in any situation, regardless of your challenges.
The current international situation is such that many companies and groups must now handle previously unseen situations for which the limitations of traditional business plans are becoming clear. Particularly complex situations are arising in most cases and across all sections of the economy: manufacturing, aviation, healthcare, art, automotive, luxury goods, defence and security, high-tech and more.
A COMPREHENSIVE POOL OF SKILLS FOR A PREMIUM FREIGHT SERVICE
For these types of special challenges, only one freight provider with top technical and human resources can handle the job.
You need to choose a service provider who can immediately mobilise a team of top international freight specialists.
4 - A service provider proficient in special customs clearances
International goods freight operations can be slowed by complex customs clearances if they are not handled by customs experts. You should seek a service provider that has a team of specialists fully proficient in the most specific and technical customs clearances. Your provider must do all it can to ensure a smooth, quick customs clearance process regardless of the nature of goods you are shipping or receiving.
In urgent situations and when transporting special, precious or high value-added goods, the watchword for successful customs clearances is preparation.
Only one seasoned provider with expertise in the most technical and special customs clearances knows how to prepare for any obstacles.
5 - A service provider that offers real-time tracking
Special freight operations require real-time tracking that only a premium service provider can offer by using its technical, logistical and human resources. When choosing a special freight provider, you must closely inspect its ability to provide you with constant access to the freight operation’s real-time progress.
REAL-TIME TRACKING: A PREREQUISITE FOR SPECIAL FREIGHT
Supply chains in all business sectors regularly encounter special situations that require equally special freight services to be provided.
In most situations, special freight needs involve extremely valuable goods that require constant protection, which means that the client must have constant access to the current progress of the freight operation through a real-time tracking system.
