What does an Ocean freight forwarder do?

A freight forwarder is a third party logistics provider who easily manages and controls the transportation of goods from the source to destination. A forwarder is a transportation expert who handles all the activities involved in the smooth transportation of goods and services from far off places. He/she is a person who keeps a track of rules and regulations and governing authorities of the shipping industry. Such a forwarder has a long list of business partners; carriers, agents, business contacts, real-time information on the status of shipping availability (for their specialized area) and a vast array of ocean shipping-line maps updated in real-time. Forwarders use these resources to provide their clients with the best possible fit (against specified requirements) in terms of cost, transit time, best/economical routes, carriers (transporter services), container bookings and shippers insurance; economies of scale (the largcarre volume of goods that forwarders transport) gives them an economical and logistic advantage over iers or businesses that ship individually.