Very informative!

by Karim

Dear Larry,

I import furniture from China and have been having a lot of problems from agents who ship for me.

And I thought why not ship for myself instead of giving the job to a middleman. But I fail to understand how the system works.

The charge quoted by any agent is the same as what is quoted by a shipping line for a container. So the question is what is in it for an agent? How does an agent gain from this shipping business?

Would really appreciate your insight into this matter.

Regards,
Karim
k_bhanji@yahoo.com

Comments for Very informative!

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Oct 05, 2015
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They compare
by: Stephen Moore

They compare prices from many carriers with same service then offer you the most suitable one.

Oct 15, 2012
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Role of shipping agents
by: Larry - webmaster

Dear Karim,

As you don't understand how the system work, you need agents. They know how to coordinate with parties to transport your cargo from origin to destination.

Besides, freight forwarders acts as a wholesaler and can get good rate from carriers and vendors. They compare prices from many carriers with same service then offer you the most suitable one. If you go directly to carrier, without necessary knowledge and experience, you likely do not receive competitive price, sufficient support and taking care of.

The role of agent is clear. If you're not happy with your agents, you'd better find a better one until you know clearly how system works.

Good luck
Larry D.

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