Forwarder

FREIGH FORWARDER: WHO IS IT? 

What is the job of a freight forwarder?

How to become a freight forwarder and why is it worth it? (Read: "how much does a freight forwarder earn and how interesting is the job of a freight forwarder?)

The answers to these questions and any others you have not yet answered can be found below.
 

FREIGHT FORWARDER: A QUESTION OF RESPONSIBILITY

The job of a freight forwarder includes several responsibilities related to shipping or receiving goods. It's the freight forwarder who has an eye on everything involved: loading and unloading, packing shipments, and such important paperwork as insurance and the flow of information regarding tariffs and duties.

That's a lot, isn't it? Plus, we're talking about actually responsible tasks. It is no exaggeration to say that responsibility is the domain of the freight forwarder.  Yes, responsibility is the keyword here. The transport industry is developing at a dizzying pace and Polish companies have managed to gain a significant position in recent years, especially on European markets. Therefore, it comes as no surprise to anyone that the profession of a freight forwarder is becoming more and more popular.  Thus, undoubtedly, the very responsible profession of a freight forwarder has gained even more importance. 

And the responsibility for this popularity of the profession of freight forwarder must be borne by those who want to realize themselves in this position, as well as by the institutions that prepare freight forwarders for this interesting occupation.

I am sure that you are a responsible, meticulous, and skillful person moving in a challenging, international environment. You have a clear interest in transport. So you are already thinking about starting work as a forwarding agent. But Krakow was not built in a day. Before you become a freight forwarder, you need to learn more, much more... 

Let's start from the basics:

FORWARDING. WHAT IS IT?

Forwarding is an activity that consists of the organization of transport. Of course, following the applicable law and business rules. Sometimes forwarding includes also activities that are connected with moving goods from place to place but are not a transport as such. This can be, for example, packaging or storage of goods, if the need arises.

A LIST OF FORWARDER'S TASKS:

Every day, a freight forwarder performs a multitude of more or less complex activities that depend on the specifics of the order. However, if we were to systematize the duties of a freight forwarder to give you an idea of what activities are part of his typical tasks, the list would look like this:

• The freight forwarder solicits new customers and carriers. You can't plan without that, right?
• A freight forwarder provides ongoing service to those customers who have already chosen to entrust their business to him.
• The freight forwarder, if he wants to remain one, must monitor the serviced orders. Of course, if he doesn't want to lose the trust of his customers.
• A forwarder looks at his watch and calendar. Punctuality of the service is the most important thing in transport. 
• Freight Forwarder, cooperating with carriers, from time to time has to put in his three cents, for example, negotiating transport rates.
• The freight forwarder has to make sure that the transport order is profitable. His profitability is also part of the basic rules for success in this industry. Those who constantly pay extra for the business, fall out of the market. 
• Freight forwarder coordinates. Simply put. Transport is a complex process. You need to be constantly on the lookout for what's going on in the grass and keep an eye on the details, eliminating potential problems. Without problems, the life of a forwarder is much more peaceful…
   

Now you know that you don't become a freight forwarder by accident. You need to have a few essential qualities and skills necessary to properly perform this profession, not to mention a certain character that makes the work of a freight forwarder interesting and fruitful.

 

FREIGHT FORWARDER: PERSONALITY MATTERS

Check if you have what a freight forwarder (and those who work with him) needs to be happy:

SKILLS

Forwarding is not plastic surgery, but even here attention to detail is extremely important. Can you imagine what a messy transport of perishable goods ordered "yesterday" ends with?

NERVES OF STEELE

A good forwarder has calmness and composure fueled to the top. The stress that he has to deal with every day probably would not impress a sapper, but for an ordinary office worker, a forwarder can be regarded as a superhero. Not only does he know how to identify an impending problem, but he also knows how to deal with the stress that accompanies it on an ongoing basis...

PERFECTION

A good shipper is a patient shipper. He or she encounters different customers every day and many problems that are not immediately solvable. In such cases, you need to remember what is most important. And consistently, without irritation, strive to solve contentious issues. At the end of the day, all that matters is the satisfaction of a job well done...

TEAMWORK

"No man is an island" and no forwarder operates in a vacuum. It is very important to be able to communicate not only with other employees within the company but also with those outside it. Can you imagine the lack of comradeship between a freight forwarder and a driver who executes his order?

CONCENTRATION OF A CHESS PLAYER

Phones ring off the hook and e-mails come in one after another... This is his daily routine.  With the enormous pressure and information noise that surrounds us, a good forwarder is able to concentrate on what is most important. On the order. 

RESPONSIBILITY

We are back to the keyword. But it's impossible not to mention how much depends on this trait. The freight forwarder is the person responsible for the course of the order. Even when nothing goes as expected, he is the one who makes sure to bring it to a happy end. Despite difficulties, stress, and pressure from the customer. This is how you build a reputation both in your own company and in the one you serve.

KNOWLEDGE OF TOOLS

Forwarders learn new applications, solutions. The most common way of working as a forwarder in Poland is to use the freight exchange.

We already know that you have all the qualities that characterize a good freight forwarder. You want to become one but do not know where to start. Well, what next?

Then you need a CV, prepared efficiently and smartly. How to do it?

SPEDITOR'S CV

There are plenty of sites on the Internet with advice on how to write a professional CV that will act as a magnet for future employers.  However, they all stress the same thing - to attract the attention of the CV reader with impressive work experience, education (including completed courses and workshops), and good command of English. So, guide in hand and get writing. Practice makes perfect (forwarder)!

Every minute we know more and more and the world of forwarding opens wider and wider before us. What awaits us? Which form of work to choose? After all, there are more types of jobs as a forwarder, right?

FREIGHT FORWARDER HAS MORE THAN ONE NAME

You already know that you want to become a freight forwarder. But which one? The form of work of a freight forwarder depends on the place and type of business. Forwarders can be divided into several main groups:

• Main forwarder: it is the one who accepts the order directly from the disposer of the goods
• Indirect Freight Forwarder: it is the one who "passes on" the activities connected with the forwarding order to the principal forwarder. What is important, the intermediate freight forwarder acts on behalf of the Customer.
• Assistant Freight Forwarder: this one also handles the order of the principal Freight Forwarder, acting in his name and at his expense.
• International Freight Forwarder: the very name reveals that his work concerns shipments in foreign trade. His domain is import and export. Just like James Bond, the International Freight Forwarder is fluent in the transport and customs regulations of other countries and has a finger on the pulse of shipping and customs tariffs.
• Customs Forwarder: is the one who can act as a customs agent. And declares shipments for customs clearance. 
• Border forwarder: this is where location matters. If you live in a city near the border with a customs office; want to work at a seaport or border station, this is the position for you. A border forwarder primarily serves as a customs agent, but may also oversee other activities, such as cargo handling.
• Port and sea freight forwarder: sea transportation is his life. He sends goods across seas and oceans, picks up shipments from ships, from port warehouses, or returns them to the back office.
• Shipping forwarder: he can be found where freight is returned for onward transportation.
• Receiving forwarder: the name gives it all away. This freight forwarder is where the cargo is received and makes sure that it reaches the recipient.
• Border forwarder: when the receiving forwarder oversees a groupage shipment and gets a list of goods along with a list of their recipients, then we call him a border forwarder. Simply put.

Plenty of options to take your pick from, right?

NOTE: remember not to confuse forwarder with logistician. They are not the same thing.... 

FORWARDER VS LOGISTICIAN. WHERE IS THE DIFFERENCE?

In short, we can say that a freight forwarder deals with transportation and a logistician is a specialist in business economics and trade.

Do you want to go into more detail? Here you go: a freight forwarder has on his head the organization of the transportation of exported and imported goods, as well as those transported within the country. It is also his responsibility to draw up shipping instructions and any information material for customers. It is his responsibility to organize the unloading and loading of goods. It is the Freight Forwarder who draws up contracts with clients and contractors (domestic and foreign). He is also responsible for arranging the means and place of delivery of the cargo entrusted to him. Freight Forwarder is responsible for customs clearance, fills out necessary customs forms, organizes customs clearance of goods imported from abroad or exported from the country. 

And a logistician? He or she is responsible for planning, organizing, directing, and controlling how goods move from the producer to the consumer. To do this, he uses information from the market. In this way, he optimizes the benefits that arise from the exchange of goods. It is the logistician who delivers the goods, as ordered by the customer, to the specified place at the specified time. He is responsible for the optimization of the delivery costs. He selects the purchasing procedure and analyses its status. The logistician handles the orders and organizes the transport using the available IT systems.

 

FREIGHT FORWARDER AT HOME

The world is changing before our eyes. In more and more professions nowadays you can successfully realize from the comfort of your own home. If you are interested in just this type of remote work, look for home office freight forwarder jobs. You will most likely be paid on a commission basis, for results. But if you believe in your effectiveness and do not like to part with your slippers, this job is exactly for you. Apply.

For the most determined and brave I recommend direct contact with companies that deal with transport and forwarding. Sometimes one interesting telephone conversation with a decision-making person can bring more than answering hundreds of advertisements. Is it worth trying? Of course, it is. In this profession, as in any other, personality counts. Show your best side, convince the potential boss that you are a valuable asset and the job will materialize faster than you think.

I hope that the above material has convinced you to fight for the position of freight forwarder. And confirmed in the belief that this is an interesting, future-oriented profession. I wish you good luck in your endeavors. Until we hear from you, future freight forwarder.