Bengaluru is India’s technology and knowledge hub. It has an active online shopping culture, and the city depends significantly on logistics partners and freight forwarders. These transportation specialists help businesses meet their shipping needs. They offer cross-border shipping services with easy channel integration, leading to optimized reach. They also require minimum documentation and offer a consolidated tracking system. The Indian logistics market will be $ 380 billion by 2025, given the likely growth rate of 10-12% per annum.
By partnering with reputable freight forwarders, businesses can create new opportunities without investing significant time and resources into understanding the local logistics industry.
What Is Freight Forwarding?
Freight forwarding is a business approach for companies who want to outsource the management and tracking of the shipment of goods to third parties. Freight forwarding refers to logistics planning, coordination, and the movement of goods throughout international borders that can involve single or multiple carriers. A freight forwarder would be responsible for arranging the entire process for shippers, including pickup, storage, and shipping of goods. They act as the intermediate party between the shipper and the transporter to negotiate the best price and decide on the most reliable and fastest route for shipment delivery.
A freight forwarder can provide various services like inventory management, purchase order tracking, insurance, door-to-door services, freight rate negotiations, customs clearance, international export and import documentation, packing, and storage.
Best 5 Freight Forwarding Companies in Bengaluru
The top freight forwarders in Bengaluru are:
DHL Global Forwarding
DHL is a world-renowned logistics company that offers a wide range of freight forwarding services. With its strong network and expertise in international shipping, DHL has established a strong presence in Bengaluru. The company offers air, sea, and road freight services, customs clearance, and warehousing solutions.
Kuehne + Nagel
Kuehne + Nagel is a global logistics company that provides end-to-end supply chain solutions. The company offers air, sea, and road freight services and value-added services such as customs clearance, warehousing, and distribution. Kuehne + Nagel has a strong presence in Bengaluru and is known for its efficient and reliable services.
FedEx
FedEx is a leading courier and logistics player offering freight forwarding and other services. The company provides air and ocean freight services, customs brokerage, and warehousing solutions. FedEx is known for its fast and efficient services, making it a popular choice among businesses in Bengaluru.
Agility
Agility is a global logistics company specialising in complex and challenging supply chain solutions. In Bengaluru, the company offers air and ocean freight services, customs clearance, warehousing, and distribution solutions. Agility has a strong reputation for its expertise in handling high-value, time-sensitive, and oversized cargo.
DB Schenker
DB Schenker is a global logistics company that provides end-to-end supply chain solutions. The company offers air, sea, and road freight services, customs clearance, warehousing, and distribution solutions. DB Schenker is known for its efficient and reliable services and has a strong presence in Bengaluru.
Shiprocket is one of the top-rated freight forwarding providers in Bengaluru, offering various services, including domestic and international shipping, warehousing, and order fulfillment. What sets Shiprocket apart from traditional freight forwarders is its focus on eCommerce businesses. It is a platform that integrates seamlessly with leading eCommerce platforms. It also offers competitive pricing and a user-friendly interface, making it a popular choice among small and medium-sized businesses in Bengaluru.
Advantages of Hiring Freight Forwarding Services
Freight forwarders help improve business efficiency and long-term performance as eCommerce offers numerous opportunities for companies to expand. By collaborating with a freight forwarder, a business can simplify and streamline its shipping services and gain a competitive edge. Some of the most significant advantages of using freight forwarding are:
Customisation
Every business has different logistics and inventory requirements. A freight forwarder can customise their services to align with your supply chain requirements, thus enabling a business to utilise the services efficiently. Whether the business is scaling operations or reducing operations, working with a freight forwarding service provider would be beneficial as they can provide tailored shipping solutions.
Reduce Stress
For businesses, handling shipping and dealing with multiple shipping companies is stressful and time-consuming. A freight forwarder will take care of the documentation and coordinate the shipping process efficiently while providing a single point of contact to direct all shipping queries. Freight forwarders consist of a team of knowledgeable and experienced staff, thus making the import and export of shipments easy. They are also equipped with the latest technology and can provide 24/7 tracking information regarding the shipment. Freight forwarders handle multiple tasks involved in shipping goods, thus giving businesses time to concentrate more on their business growth.
Optimisation of the Route
Freight forwarders have access to a global network of specialists and other connections that can help logistics operations move more quickly. They can determine the best route, lower transit time, and negotiate the best freight rates for the client. A freight forwarder can provide the best range of route services by sea, air, road, rail, or a combination to ensure the cost-effective transportation of shipments while maintaining the schedule required to meet delivery deadlines.
Expertise
Freight forwarders are knowledgeable in the various aspects involved in the supply chain. Thus, they can meet tight deadlines and create an organised system for the delivery of goods. They can handle unexpected delays and reroute shipping to ensure timely delivery. Import and export procedures are complicated, mainly because different countries are involved. Each country has different rules and regulations that need to be followed. A freight forwarder will ensure that the relevant documents, licences, and fee payments are done to ensure shipments clear customs and arrive at their destination on schedule.
Provide Tools to Track and Manage Shipments
Freight forwarding service providers have the tools and software to track shipments apart from ETA, tracking number, details like purchase order management, exception notification, customised reports and dashboards, digital copies of paperwork, and many more.
Cost Reduction
Freight forwarders have excellent relationships with carriers due to the large volumes they transport. This gives them considerable negotiating power allowing them to negotiate competitive shipping rates. They are experts in providing the most cost-effective shipping options with reliability. Hiring a freight forwarding service helps take care of all the shipping needs at cost-efficient rates and saves time for business.
Inventory Management
Many freight forwarders provide inventory management, including product storage, packaging, and delivery, all tailored to the client’s requirements. This also includes warehousing, which is the temporary storage of items before they are delivered to customers.
This is highly beneficial for eCommerce companies. With the help of Shiprocket, companies can focus on growing and improving their eCommerce business without worrying about shipping logistics.
Conclusion
Freight forwarders benefit businesses of all sizes that are interested in expanding globally. With the help of freight forwarders, businesses can ensure shipments arrive on schedule. The right freight forwarder can customise their services to assist businesses in organizing and optimising their logistic processes and ensure all compliance is maintained. Businesses can streamline their shipping needs by hiring a freight forwarder service, as through them, one has access to an expansive network of agents, carriers, and customs officials. This ensures businesses have more options to choose from and decide on the ideal shipping price, thus saving money and time.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
Freight forwarding is an option for companies who want to outsource the management and tracking of the shipment of goods to third parties. Freight forwarding refers to logistics planning, coordination, and the movement of goods throughout international borders that can involve single or multiple carriers. Freight forwarders act as a facilitator between shippers and carriers, handling all the tedious administrative aspects of logistics so that companies do not have to worry about the details.
Globalisation and international trade have made it easier for businesses to market their products globally. This demand has led to many businesses outsourcing their logistics requirements to freight forwarders. They can handle international regulations, transport routes, negotiations, and relationship management and provide warehouses that can store, package, and manage inventory.
Freight forwarders have excellent relationships with carriers due to the large volumes they transport. This gives them considerable buying power, thus allowing them to negotiate competitive shipping rates. They are experts in providing the most cost-effective shipping options with reliability.
