You’re probably familiar with the freight shipping process, but what you don’t know is that you’re doing it in the wrong order. To figure out how we are able to ship freight so cheaply for our clients, you need to find the most practical service for your goods first, then find the right freight forwarder offering a fair price.
We know it’s hard for a business to compete in today’s post-COVID market. Freight costs are rising, gas prices are out of control, container shortages, and the war in Ukraine is escalating.
Shipping freight is one of those unglamorous-but-crucial elements of many companies. Whether you are a small business or an enterprise, you want your goods to get where they’re going while maintaining a price you can afford. On the flip side, when you’re creating products, you can’t sit and wait for your parts and supplies to get to you. In the era of supply chain meltdown, speed, cost, and trackability are all elements that are vital to your business.
We understand that, and we know it’s not easy. That is why we created this simple guide on how to ship freight cheaply. FMI wants to reduce your freight costs and help you gain a better understanding of freight shipping. Allowing you to provide an improved customer experience and make more money for your business.
How Do Freight Companies Work?
Freight shipping refers to transporting goods by air, land, or sea. Freight companies ship businesses’ goods through their network to keep the supply chain running and ensure that products can get from their warehouse to retail stores, distribution centers, and end customers.
Freight shipping fees can vary depending on the goods you are shipping and how you choose to ship them.
For example, air freight ships faster than the other modes of freight shipping, therefore it costs more. However, no matter the mode of freight you use, the following factors impact the shipping cost of shipping goods:
- Weight
- Dimensions (i.e. height, width, depth)
- Storage needs (temperature or other environmental specifics)
- Packaging
- Frailty or Class of Goods
- Destination
- Mode of transportation
- Time restrictions
Overall, finding the cheapest way to ship your freight generally will depend on the size and weight of your cargo and how far it will travel.
How Do I Find a Freight Company?
Your reputation with your customers will depend on your goods reaching them on time. It is therefore essential to find the right freight company for your business to partner with.
You want to find a company with an established reputation. Building a reputation in many industries takes years but can be destroyed in seconds. For freight forwarders, their reputation is what drives their business, so be sure to find a company that has stellar reviews.
You also want to find a freight forwarder with the right kinds of experience and who knows how to ship the goods you will be moving.
General experience and years in the industry are also helpful. Experience is helpful in numerous situations. For example, suppose you’re dealing with import and export customs. In that case, you need to know if your forwarder has the industry knowledge to navigate laws and regulations in both the country of origin and destination.
What’s LTL Shipping, and How is It Different?
LTL stands for less than truckload and refers to transporting goods that do not require a full truckload. These smaller freight loads typically result in many separate shipments being transported on one truck.
There are pros and cons to LTL shipping.
When you have a full truckload (FTL), you can leave whenever you want because your destination (and whether or not you’re late) has no effect on anyone else. But an LTL is made up of numerous shipments and can therefore take longer to deliver as there will be stops along the way.
On the other hand, LTL shipments are cheaper. Having an FTL for a small shipment might make sense if the goods are fragile or particularly time-sensitive. However, in most cases, the total cost of FTL shipping will be higher than an LTL. If your load is small and you don’t have a tight schedule, LTL shipping will likely have a lower cost.
Finding Great Freight Services for an Affordable Price
Finding cheap freight shipments is not about finding the lowest possible cost. You need to make sure you are searching for the most practical service for the goods you are shipping first and then find the right freight forwarder who offers a fair price.
Click the button below to start getting the best rates on freight, LTL, or intermodal services.