Freight Forwarding vs. Common Logistics & Trucking Services
As a Forwarding Agent, Our Company Takes Shipments Off Your Task List
“A freight forwarder company represents and manages the imports and exports of a person or business. While a logistics expert can offer to deliver the shipments themselves, it is not common.”
A freight forwarder’s primary responsibility is to organize the delivery path of their clients’ goods, utilizing money and time saving strategies, which includes deciding whether shipping by road, sky, sea, or rail is best suited for the shipment. Manufacturers and producers benefit greatly from freight forwarders because they take a number of duties off their task list, including the review of:
- Receipts
- Commercial inboxes
- Bill of Lading
- Shipper's export declaration
Any company acting as a freight forwarder in the United States can ship nationwide or internationally as long as they are registered and carry a license. Direct Drive Logistics is a prime example of a domestic freight forwarder capable of managing shipments around the world, but we’re not limited to this single logistics option.
What’s the Difference Between a Freight Forwarder and…?
Shipping Agent
While freight forwarders organize shipments utilizing all modes of transportation for efficiency, a shipping agent works primarily in a port, taking responsibility for deliveries made by ship and the according paperwork. A shipping agent is a great hire for a company looking to ship goods to specific regions across large bodies of water.
Customs Broker
If you’re shipping goods around the world, your deliveries will have to pass the judgement of a customs broker. A professional with this title is a federal law enforcement officer responsible for preventing threats from entering the country. A freight forwarder doesn’t check boxes – we only organize the shipment!
Freight Broker
As a logistics company, we’ve worked with many brokers. While a freight forwarder organizes shipments of goods, a broker buys and sells the deliveries for others. While Direct Drive Logistics may be establishing your shipping routes, you may have a broker in your company buying and selling goods for you to ship.
Courier
A courier is solely responsible for transporting documents between two agents. For instance, a freight forwarder may review a bill of lading and a courier would then be notified to deliver the document to another entity or to a specific address. Couriers deliver mail, packages, messages, & other similar items.
Motor Carrier
Similar to the other logistics agents here, a motor carrier has a very specific role. While freight forwarders conduct the transportation paths of goods, a motor carrier is a company which hires shipment vehicles. Whether you need bus, truck, or trailer drivers, you may hire a motor carrier to handle the employment process.