The biggest headache of every trader is the inevitable fluctuation in the freight charges. In international trade, the only constant thing is the uncertainty of events and shipping patterns. This is because freight rates depend upon a lot of external factors and a slight change in any of those directly affects the rates. Traditionally, the exporters and importers had to contact every freight forwarder and logistics department to find out the current freight charges.
Today, with the right use of technology and the help of the internet, one can easily get freight quotes online. It not only helps in finding the best deals but also enables one to compare the rates of different shipping lines. For exploring the freight charges easily, check rates online with Cogoport.
How To Check Freight Charges Online?
Most of the exporters, shippers, importers, and freight forwarders have taken their business to online platforms for convenient trading experience. The transparency and feasibility of online platforms are unbeatable. Taking the right advantage of it, one can easily check freight charges online by following the few simples steps:Find A Reliable Website
The reliability of online websites is the first thing to check before believing the information given on it. Especially in the case of international trade, wrong data can mislead one in the wrong direction. So, first of all, one should find the website of a renowned and well-known freight forwarder or logistics services, provider. It becomes easier to filter the information as the technology of such websites is also very advanced.Create An Account
Before starting the search, one needs to enter the official email ID of his trading company and set an appropriate password. This is important as the service providers also need some validation about their customers. So, enter the email address and set a password that is tricky yet easy to remember.Fill-up The Freight Details
Now, comes the major part of finding the freight charges because the amount of it depends upon the quantity and quality of goods that will be shipped. Follow the instructions carefully and fill up the accurate details. One may also need to select the type of container. There are two types of containers, FCL (Full Container Load) and LCL (Less than Container Load). The freight charges also differ depending upon it so it needs to be selected. Other general details may vary from one website to another.Choose The Destination
The delivery destination of freight also affects its shipping charge. There are various shipping lines that are connected to different ports of different countries. Moreover, every shipping line and the carrier has its rate which they charge depending upon the distance covered. Thus, one needs to choose his preferred destination of the shipment.Compare Rates
Once all the required details are filled, one can easily compare the freight charges of all the shipping lines that offer carriage services to the mentioned destination. So, all the options will be displayed on the screen and one a trader can easily choose the option which best suits his interests.What Are The Benefits?
There are many benefits of checking freight charges online. Maybe this is the reason that today, most of the exporters and shippers rely upon the online platforms.- Saves Time - The process of finding freight charges saves a lot of time. The traders can easily access the websites on their smartphones or PC (Personal Computer). There is no need of depending upon brokers or intermediaries to find out the deals and offers in the market.
- Cost-effective - Traditionally, brokers were involved in the shipping process and traders had to hire brokers for finding good offers and reasonable freight charges. Online websites mostly provide the service free of cost so one has to pay no additional charges.
- Find Reliable options - The renowned websites always offer freight charges of trustworthy and verified freight forwarders. So, no chances of fraud or any other kind of inconvenience.
- Easy Communication - A trader can compare all the available freight charges and then make a quote instantly on the online platform itself. Few companies offer this exclusive benefit which enables faster communication.
- Find the best deal - Since the freight charges that are shown upfront on the online portals can be compared easily on a single dashboard, a trader can crack the best deal.