Practical considerations for door-to-door cargo to the USA

Practical considerations for door-to-door cargo to the USA
5 min read
28 August 2023

The global shipping process involves many steps. After the stacking and drayage, there may be a rail ride, perhaps some dragging, followed by the ocean crossing. Customs will be there. Then there is more transport by land, and finally dumping.

It is possible for anything to go wrong. You've probably seen acrobats perform and understand the meaning of handing off. Gymnast A grabs the bar with her legs and swings to the next swinging bar. She then swings into the hands of Stuntman B. Both grab each other's hands to move the circular section as a unit.

This is very much the same with international door-to-door cargo to the USA. If everything went according to plan, the heap would be seamlessly transferred from one company to another. Even so, each change opens the door to an unlucky handoff and difficult falls.

The hurdles you may face 

  • When the driver arrives at the depot with the box, he's not told to return tomorrow. It leads to time wastage and make additional costs.
  • You don't get a clear explanation from your driver about what makes up the pile. The heap, the driver brought is too high for his 40-foot box. He can't keep the compartment, so he must return it to the shipping line. Someone else will rebook the cargo.
  • Your vessel has arrived at the port, and you have not received a record for customs freedom. The pile of paperwork is left in the terminal as you, your agent, and Traditions try to find it.
  • The steamship will be there to help you. You are informed that the situation is impossible in less than a minute by the steamship line. As you rush to organize transportation by yourself, your leisure time dwindles, and you incur capacity charges. A truck also comes with a price.
  • The freight arrives ten days late and causes costly problems for your retail network. You owe someone an explanation. You call your service provider, overseas shipping, steamship company, or traditional specialist, and they all point the finger in the wrong direction.

The best solution in this context

Avoiding missed connections can be achieved by eliminating the transfer of handoffs. It is best to have one company responsible for the entire shipment.

The global forwarder you choose will handle each step in the door-to-door cargo from Dubai to Canada. This includes ground transportation, shipping by sea, and clearing Customs.

You gain when you choose to rely upon one firm to manage your global delivery requirements

You save time

Once you have signed an agreement for worldwide delivery, the majority of your work has been done. You can leave the logistics to them. They will take care of everything from pickups, shipping, tracking, customs, delivery, etc. Let the professionals handle the logistics and delivery of your goods and services so you can focus on the core business.

It's a feeling of inner harmony

You will remember who provided the information or whether Traditions handles its business. While you rely on various specialist firms to carry out different phases of shipments, your forwarder will supervise each transaction and ensure that no one is left behind.

Experts that ask questions

A cargo specialist with experience knows the risks of not accounting for critical data. Did you include crating in the aspects of the cargo? What time is it possible to stack or dump at the dock? Have you double-checked the specs your driver plans to use to get a special license? You can trust a forwarder with experience to know exactly what is required to ensure your safety.

Increased influence on transporters

You may have to fight for a vehicle if the space is limited. Yet, an experienced forwarder can find space for you if they work with multiple transporters. The forwarder will also get lower rates since it moves many items.

You don't need to be involved in the customs clearance process

Your partner will do it for you. Tax payments will be handled by this supplier. You can be confident about it. 

You only need one resource to know the shipment status

On the other hand, do you need an estimate of your arrival time? If you work with just one person, there is no need to worry about who can help.

Final note

Instead of relying on a cargo forwarder to handle deliveries, some organizations trust ocean carriers with the complete journey. This includes land transportation to and from the destination. It is OK for massive transporters. They get individualized service. However, below the highest level of retailers, many transporters need help to get their message across in case of questions or issues.

It is important to note that relying solely on the carrier line for global deliveries may not make sense for smaller to midsized carriers.

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Liam Smith 2
Joined: 8 months ago
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