On this week’s episode of Check Call, Brian Glick, co-founder at Chain.io, joins host Mary O’Connell to dive into all things ocean freight.
KEY QUOTES FROM GLICK:
“Work with a freight forwarder if you’ve never done it before. One of the really interesting challenges with the ocean industry is that 99% of the time products are ending up in another country, meaning you have to have expertise with other countries’ customs filings.”
“Having a relationship with an international freight forwarder that you work on together and just making sure that you get your paperwork straight as to whose name is on what document is really the key. Part of that is that there is a very detailed set of rules as to the difference between marking up freight and providing services around freight.”
“Just as a word of warning, a customer wasn’t aware of everything that was going on. They got a customs bill for significantly more than the profit margin on the shipment. The shipment ended up costing him money because he didn’t work with a good partner to explain to him that there is a customs bill coming for 10%-20% of the value of the goods. That’s where a good partner that is also a licensed customs broker is key.”
“When you’re thinking about international and you really want to get down to that perfect quote [expect it to take more time]. One of the differences between a freight forwarder and a freight broker is a lot of freight brokers know their market and will sell and then buy. Freight forwarders tend to work more of a they know their price and then they’re marking that up and selling it. It takes them a little more time.”
“You have to be very clear as to where that service is beginning. You can contract it port to port or door to door. Knowing which of those options on each end is extremely important, and you could end up with your freight lost or abandoned.”
Got any pain points or things you wish were better in the supply chain and the world of transportation? Contact O’Connell to be on a future episode of Check Call.