There are major multinationals in practically every commercial and services field you’d care to point to. But while often biggest is considered best, going with the giants of the freight forwarding sector is not always the best decision. Independent freight forwarders, like International Cargo Express, hold certain advantages over their larger competitors.
At ICE, we’re particularly proud to be independent because it gives us a certain flexibility that ensures the best freight forwarding solution can be found of any specific customer. We don’t rely on a corporate culture to thrive in the competitive field of freight forwarding, and instead deal directly with our customers to build a real and lasting relationship with them.
But what exactly are the advantages to you? How can opting for an independent freight forwarder be of greater benefit when a multinational might have a unified global fleet of their own? Actually, there are several ways in which you are better off.
1. Getting the Best Rates and Prices
Hiring an independent freight forwarder means you get benchmarked freight rates. This is important because there can be significant swings in shipping rates at any particular time, and finding the most cost-effective combination is the difference between affordable and expensive.
As a matter of policy, ICE checks each price against at least 3 freight forwarders of competitive size in both the country of origin and destination. By doing this, we actually get a feel for what is a competitive freight rate in the market at that time.
A multinational freight forwarder, on the other hand, can only use either their global buying power or their own offices. Their rates are effectively isolated from what is going on in the market, so they can only assume their rates are competitive. It’s not until a customer benchmarks them against another that they learn if they’re competitive or not.
2. Network Alterations for the Best Service
An independent freight forwarder needs to have their fingers on the market pulse to offer the best prices, but it’s also necessary to ensure the best possible service too. Competitive forwarders have partners all over the world, but while that may seem to complicate matters, it actually ensures that alterations can be made to a service to ensure the most reliable, as well as the most cost-effective, shipping solution is provided.
With ICE, for example, if one overseas agent is failing to provide the required service quality, we have the option to switch to an alternative agent. So, we can fine-tune our services to ensure our customers are satisfied.
A multinational, however, is always stuck within their own network, which means they do not have the ability to switch service providers. or improve the service experience, if there is a problem.
3. Shared Values Means Greater Efficiency
Let’s face it, the vast majority of importers and exporters are not multinational giants. The majority of our customers are small to medium-sized businesses. Hiring an independent freight forwarder means hiring a service provider with shared values. It’s much like members of a choir singing from the same hymn-sheet.
It’s a similar situation with shipping partners. At ICE, we align ourselves with companies who have a similar culture, passion and outlook to us so we can get freight from A to B more efficiently. At this point, independence is a very important plus.
Contact Your ICE Team
At International Cargo Express, we’re extremely proud of our status as an independent freight forwarder. Since our opening day, almost 25 years ago, we’ve ensured our customers can engage directly with our management, and have valued the relationships we’ve built with them.
And at the same time, ICE maintains an international network of agents chosen for their accessibility, reliability and responsiveness, so our clients can be sure of high quality freight forwarding solutions that address their particular needs.
