Air freight shipping mistakes you want to avoid

With the expansion of media technologies our world is becoming more and more interconnected and is starting to resemble a global village. It all started with the dawn of the information age back in the 20^th century. Since then, each new technological breakthrough further accelerated the transition of culture, commerce as well as massive migrations. The advent of the internet opened the doors to the mind-boggling possibilities of the e-trade. This, in turn, led to globalized markets where we are tied together in a brutal race for profits and new clients.

So how this applies to your business? Well, one thing is certain. If you wish for your company to grow and expand, you should navigate towards the international waters. The key is to enable the worldwide availability of your products. How to reach the dizzying heights of the world’s most recognizable brands? First of all, you have to find new and exciting markets, such as Saudi Arabia. Next, you have to find reliable cargo partners. Take a look at the best logistics companies in Yanbu, and distribute your products by land, sea, and air. But before you do that, let’s take a peek at some of the most frequent air shipping mistakes that you want to avoid.

Choosing the wrong air shipping partner is the first mistake

It is difficult to be in control of every aspect of your business model if you are selling your products all over the world. You can supervise the production process, or regulate how your marketing team performs their daily tasks, but once your ship your products their faith is in the hands of your freight partner. For this reason, it is absolutely crucial to have reliable partners for shipping air cargo to Saudi Arabia. Otherwise, you might face unfortunate scenarios where your shipments are late, or the goods arrived damaged. So, how to know whether you are dealing with the right shipping company?

• Are their employees friendly, well-informed and ready to answer your questions? If this is true, then you are on the right track.
• Are they using the latest technologies? Do they offer shipment tracking? In what state are their planes, trucks, and ships?
• Do they offer a wide palette of services? The ability to cater to many different shipping services is a trademark of experienced freight companies.
• Do they have a dedicated website with all the crucial information about their business like certificates and licenses? They should also have a comments section where their business associates could leave feedback.

Not getting cargo insurance is a huge mistake

Even if you acquire the services of the best freight company in the world, accidents can still happen. Many external factors play a role here, and the best thing you could do is to get third party insurance. Carriers often have insurance policies incorporated into their deals, but the problem is that you probably won’t be able to get full reimbursement for lost or damaged cargo. Having third-party insurance is a great way to secure yourself and avoid costly damage. Furthermore, third-party insurance companies will compensate for your loss in a much shorter period compared to the carrier. This practice is especially useful when you are shipping fragile and expensive merchandise.

Improper packaging is at the core of most air freight shipping mistakes

Not following the packaging procedures is the main cause of shipment damage. Remember that your goods go through multiple loading/unloading phases and that they are handled by dozens of people. In other words, there is bound to be some tumbling. If you are shipping fragile and expensive items you should devote extra care to the packaging process. Use protective materials like bubble wrap or styrofoam peanuts. If you are not sure how to apply the right packing procedures, seek professional packing and crating services that guarantee the safety of your cargo. Remember that if the examination confirms that the damage was caused by incorrect packing you won’t be able to make damage claims.

Messing-up the paperwork is one of the biggest air freight shipping mistakes

• Listing the wrong address. You would be surprised just how often people make this mistake. The biggest problem here is that you have wasted your time, and made a bad impression. Your customers will be angry, and rightfully so.
• Listing the wrong weight. This mistake arises from using malfunctioning scales, forgetting to add the weight of the palette to the total weight of the shipment, or simply in an attempt to scam the shipping company. The heavier the shipment, the more it will cost. If the shipping company suspects that the listed weight might not be accurate they will use their own official scales to reweight such shipments. This results in penalties and additional costs.
• Failing to classify your freight. Many different freight classes exist, and you must list the right one on the bill of landing. If you fail to do so, you might face unexpected charges. The best thing to do is to consult your freight partner.
• Wrong dates. Many misunderstandings arise when people forget to count weekends and holiday thus setting unrealistic expectations for the delivery of their goods. Delays will happen and upset your customers.

  

Other common air freight shipping mistakes

• Relying on one shipping partner. Being loyal to your shipping partner is an honorable thing to do, but what if you decide to increase the volume and frequency of your deliveries? If you outgrow your partner he won’t be able to meet your needs.
• Not being familiar with customs regulations. If your product needs special certificates it might get stuck and never get past the customs clearance procedure.
• Not using palettes.

Now when you are familiar with the most common air freight shipping mistakes do your best to avoid them, and you can be certain that your customers will be happy and that your business will continue to grow.