Your freight forwarder controls three things that matter most: cost, speed, and peace of mind. Pick the wrong one and you face missed deadlines, hidden fees, and customs headaches. Here are 8 things to check before you book your next shipment.

8 things to check before you book

· 1. Trade lane coverage — does the forwarder actually serve your routes? If you ship to South America, Australia & New Zealand, North America, and Africa, you need a partner with a real global network, not just one strong lane.

· 2. FCL and LCL capability — whether you need full container load or less-than-container-load, they should offer both and honestly tell you which is cheaper for your shipment size.

· 3. Customs Clearance expertise — customs mistakes are expensive. Ask how long they have handled clearance on your key routes and whether they have an in-house team.

· 4. Real-time shipment tracking — you need proactive updates, not “I'll check and get back to you.” Ask about their tracking systems and whether you get a dedicated contact person.

· 5. Transparent freight rates — the lowest quote is not always the cheapest. Ask for a full breakdown: Ocean Freight, terminal handling, documentation, and customs clearance fees — no hidden costs at destination.

· 6. Cargo insurance — sea freight is safe, but cargo is still at risk. A good forwarder proactively recommends insurance that matches your cargo value.

· 7. incoterms knowledge — FOB, CIF, ddp — the wrong Incoterm can cost you thousands. Make sure your forwarder explains exactly who pays and who takes risk at each step.

· 8. Industry experience — ask for references from companies shipping similar cargo on the same routes. Lane experience beats general logistics experience.

Red flags to watch for

· Quotes that arrive with no breakdown and expire in 24 hours — pressure selling usually hides margin.

· No named contact person; every reply comes from a different mailbox.

· They dodge questions about customs clearance or cargo insurance and only talk price.

· They cannot tell you which port your cargo will transship through.

Bottom line

Choosing an international freight forwarder is one of your most important supply chain decisions. Test a partner with a small shipment before scaling up — and judge them on communication as much as on rate.

At Linkfactory.com, we cover all five continents — with a special focus on South America, Australia & New Zealand, North America, and Africa. Our team (English, Spanish, and Chinese) handles sea freight, air freight, and customs clearance end to end. Spanish gives us a real edge on South America flows; Chinese keeps origin-side operations tight