One of the most challenging aspects of running an eCommerce business is fulfilling orders. Fulfilling orders is the process that every company uses to receive new orders and deliver them to the customers. As part of growing a business, of course, you’d want to expand your network not just locally but also in the international industry.
At present, new and existing sellers choose to sell their products to Amazon through the help of FBA freight forwarders. Millions of people are doing this as FBA offers a vast opportunity for businesses to generate more profit as it works in many countries globally. In this article, we’ll tackle what FBA freight forwarding is and how it works.
What is FBA freight forwarding?
FBA or Fulfillment by Amazon freight forwarding involves storing, packaging, shipping, and handling replacements. Through FBA forwarders, you deliver your products to any of Amazon’s fulfillment hubs, and the rest of the process is taken care of by them. It helps third-party retailers manage their order fulfillment and delivery processes. Since the company started its last-mile delivery programme a few years ago, the use of Amazon delivery trucks has grown. Since that time, delivery vans have taken on a crucial part in Amazon’s incredibly extensive distribution network. What is amazon dsp? Local businesses who work with Amazon as delivery service (“DSP”) partners send products to their clients using Amazon delivery vans from a central location. This gives many people the chance to launch their own delivery company using Amazon’s resources and infrastructure.
It doesn’t end with having all the necessary research and preparation you did to finish off the process of selling to Amazon. Moreover, you have to hire a freight forwarding company to transport your inventory and process all the necessary documents. How do we do that? – By hiring a reliable FBA freight forwarder.
Key Responsibilities
- A freight forwarder does not physically move your inventory.
- It serves as a go-between for various modes of transportation, such as ocean freight, trucking, air freight, and rail freight.
- It uses established ties with carriers (air freighters/trucking businesses/rail freighters/ocean liners) to negotiate the best possible price to deliver shippers’ products along the most cost-effective path.
- Freight forwarders manage the complicated logistics of moving products across international borders.
How Does It Work?
An Amazon FBA freight forwarder helps the retailers ship their products from the manufacturer to any Amazon fulfillment centers. The advantage of hiring one continues from start to finish until the goods reach the customers. Here are the services provided by these FBA freight forwarders.
Coordinating logistics for storage and delivery
The FBA forwarder is responsible for orderly storage and distribution of products and ensuring that orders are filled appropriately.
Tracking of internal transit
Because of its expertise in the field, it ensures that they keep track of the whereabouts of your inventory. It executes its knowledge of the ins and outs of freight delivery, thus, incurring fast and cost-effective shipping.
Preparing documents
Documents such as tariffs, shipments, customs clearance, and compliance categorization are time-consuming yet very crucial. Freight forwarders have the leverage when it comes to this process as their expertise expedites these operations.
Warehousing
The FBA freight forwarder provides warehousing for all your goods and stores them to meet the clients’ demand. Warehouses have a wide range of products for clients to choose from.
Getting a better deal on freight costs
Competent freight forwarders have strong relationships with carriers and can negotiate cheap shipping costs. They are specialists at balancing cost and dependability and will help you prepare for the future to save money.
Consolidating shipments
Freight consolidation is the act of combining multiple small shipments to a single truck and transporting them together to their location. It is advantageous to the shipper, and the retailer as the goods are shipped in bulk, incurring cheaper rates.
Assisting in filing insurance claims
International shipments, whether by air or sea freight, need inventory insurance. This way, you will be covered by your insurance policy for uncontrollable situations such as theft or damage. Freight insurance should be in place from when your products leave your supplier until Amazon receives them at the US fulfillment hub.
Customs Clearance
As a logistics service, your freight forwarding business should assist you with the legalities involved in importing foreign products, such as creating the required papers.
Tips on choosing an FBA freight forwarder for your business
Now that you know how an FBA freight forwarder works, you might ask, “How to choose the right FBA freight forwarder?” We provided some tips here so you could know what to look for in a freight forwarding company for your goods.
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- Do your research about the most suitable freight forwarder near you regarding their services and call them for a free quote.
- Inquire about these pieces of information upon talking to them:
- Shipping destinations. You need to know the inclusions on their services regarding delivery, where the pick-up and delivery take place.
- Prior Amazon FBA Expertise. An experienced FBA forwarder knows how to handle Amazon shipments and the requirements and protocols it implements.
- Packaging Services. Inquire with the freight forwarder about the pricing and inclusions of their packaging services. Larger boxes often have labels, whereas smaller items are packaged in sealable plastic bags.
- Monitoring system. It is vital to keep track of your goods, so ask the forwarder how and where to track them or the tools they use to monitor the freight.
- Insurance coverage. The majority of forwarders provide insurance against damage and loss as a bare minimum. Find out if there is additional coverage, especially if your inventory is valuable and time-sensitive.
Conclusion
An FBA freight forwarder ensures you get the best services to ship your goods to Amazon. Not only does it track the shipment, but it also processes the preparation and necessary documents needed to settle the requirements. Aside from that is the peace of mind knowing that your goods are secured with the right insurance.
It will help you build your firm as you’ll have plenty of time focusing on it. Delivering your clients’ orders without issues offers your business the exposure it needs to grow. As a result, more doors may open up for your business in the future.