How can I save money on ocean freight during the shipping process?

In the current economic environment, the continuous rise in ocean freight rates makes the cost of shipping increasing. For shippers who rely on ocean freight, finding ways to reduce costs in the transportation chain has become their greatest concern. Saving money on ocean freight not only requires a deep understanding of the shipping market and good communication skills with shipping companies, but also requires adequate preparation in your own operations. Below are a few effective ways and strategies to save on ocean freight costs to help ocean cargo owners reduce financial pressure.

1. Reasonable design of cargo transportation packaging

Each means of transportation has its own upper limit of weight and volume, so these limitations must be taken into account when designing cargo packaging.perkhidmatan penghantaran For example, if you find that there is excess or insufficient space after packing, you can negotiate with the ocean freight forwarder to adjust the quantity of cargo, such as combining two orders to fill a container, or leaving the excess cargo for subsequent shipments. Such adjustments can significantly reduce costs.

In addition, the owner should be before shipment of the product packaging for accurate calculations to ensure that the volume of the container and the number of orders according to the design of the appropriate packaging, and combined with the internal dimensions of the container to determine the size of the carton, so as to come up with the best crating program, so that the container to achieve the ideal state.

2. In-depth understanding of cargo transportation routes

It is crucial to be familiar with ocean transportation routes. For example, the basic port and non-basic port freight rates to European ports vary significantly between different shipping lines, usually ranging from $100 to $200. Knowing the pricing policies of different shipping lines can help you secure better rates. As another example, U.S.logistics news today East Coast ports can choose between all-water or continental bridge transportation, and the price difference between the two can be hundreds of dollars. If time permits, you can ask the shipping company to choose the lower cost of all-water transportation.

3. Choosing suitable inland transportation mode for port collection

Inland shippers will incur different costs if they choose different modes of inland transportation. Usually, train transportation is the lowest cost, but the procedures are complicated, suitable for large quantities and not urgent goods; trucking is easy to operate, fast, slightly higher price; and directly in the factory or warehouse container is the most costly option, only suitable for goods that should not be loaded and unloaded several times.

4. Selection of suitable shipping companies and international freight forwarders

Competition in the sea transportation market is fierce, the world's leading shipping companies have offices in China ports. Although there are many advantages of cooperating with these large companies, their prices may be too high if they cannot get favorable freight rates. At this time, medium-sized shipping companies can often provide reasonable prices and reliable services. At the same time, choosing the right freight forwarding company is also very critical, because they can get from the shipping company to the general cargo owners can not get preferential tariffs. Long-term cooperation can also enhance the tacit understanding and further reduce freight costs.

In addition, different shipping companies or forwarders have their own advantages on different routes. Finding a company that operates well on a particular route not only enjoys more frequent shipping schedules, but also usually gets the lowest freight rates in the market. Therefore, foreign trade enterprises should choose the right shipping company for their export market.

5. Good cooperation with sea transportation companies

Sea cargo owners should book early and timely preparation of goods, and freight forwarding companies with smooth cooperation, to avoid early or late delivery of additional costs. The preparation of customs declaration documents should also be meticulous and thoughtful to avoid cost increases and transportation delays. If there is any change in the actual packing situation, make sure to update the customs declaration documents in time to avoid the extra cost caused by customs inspection.

6. Reasonable handling of LCL cargo

LCL transportation procedure is more complicated than that of full container, and the freight rate is relatively flexible. There are many LCL transportation companies and the price is more transparent. Although there are market prices for LCL transportation, there is a big difference in the surcharge of each company. Therefore,ship cost when choosing LCL service, you should confirm all the cost items, accurately calculate the weight and size of the goods, and prefer professional LCL company to reduce the cost.

7. Learn to bargain with shipping company

The initial offer of shipping company or forwarder is mostly the maximum freight rate, and the actual discount depends on the negotiation skill of cargo owner. As a big customer, you can apply for favorable tariff directly. At the same time, it is also a feasible strategy to understand the differences in tariffs corresponding to different cargo names, and to choose a slow ship or a non-direct ship to save costs without affecting on-time arrival.

In summary, it is essential to be smart about transportation. While it is unlikely to make a profit on freight costs, proper management can significantly reduce costs. Saving on transportation costs is not simply a matter of pursuing low prices, but also a balance between time and cost. By doing so, ocean cargo owners can reduce unnecessary expenses while maintaining the efficiency of cargo transportation.

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