Bennett International Freight Forwarding for Over-Dimensional Freight Featured in American Cranes & Transport
American Cranes & Transport magazine targets people in the crane, lifting, and transport industry. Often this industry requires the movement of over-dimensional freight onto ships and cargo planes for transport internationally. Tricia Reynolds, vice president of Bennett International Transport (BIT) penned an article that walks buyers through the process of freight-forwarding breakbulk cargo and the many considerations in choosing a freight forwarding partner. An exerpt follows:
INNUMERABLE VARIABLES
When coordinating logistics for breakbulk freight, there are innumerable variables that need to be considered that could impact the delivery and the cost for the customer. This is where experience is vital. A novice may have the ability to plan for some variables while an experienced freight forwarder may be able to foresee many more variables.
In all shipments, there are anomalies that cannot be anticipated or controlled, but an experienced freight forwarder would be more likely to anticipate and resolve them more efficiently. They include weather, last-minute changes to ship schedules, work stoppages, permit delays or changes to customs laws that occur after the shipment has left port, or anomalies at pick-up or delivery sites.
For example, an experienced freight forwarder had arranged for a generator to be lifted from a barge to an ocean going vessel at the Port of New York for transport overseas. The freight forwarder requested that the handlers take photos of the freight, which later revealed that one of the tarps was lifted up, exposing part of the cargo. The freight forwarder coordinated an immediate fix with the port before the ship departed. This was an example in which the freight forwarder had the experience to know that requesting photos was a precautionary necessity to prevent a potential problem. If the generator had been transported over the ocean exposed, it could have sustained salt water damage and resulted in significant monetary loss for the customer.
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