Shipping by air and wondering just what is an air freight forwarder. You might be one of the millions of shippers turning to air carriers to bypass congested sea ports. If so, you will likely need the services of someone who can arrange shipping needs for your new venture. Air freight forwarders are standing by to help do just that.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) handles the security of all U.S. air cargo. Air freight forwarders work with the TSA to ensure proper travel standards are used. Air cargo is often valuable and time-sensitive, requiring special handling. Air freight forwarders work within TSA regulations to ship correctly.
Get an in-depth look at what air freight forwarders can accomplish and how your air cargo shipments are handled.
Steady trade is a vital part of every country’s economy. This essential lesson was driven home during the height of the Covid 19 global pandemic when global transport systems practically came to a standstill.
As things continue to normalize, international trade is booming once more, and freight forwarding companies are in high demand. An air freight forwarder is someone who specifically organizes and manages the shipping arrangements of air cargo.
Much like their truckload or ocean freight counterparts, they find cargo space for your freight on any of the hundreds of cargo planes crisscrossing the world. While there may be some companies or individuals that handle their own air shipping needs, most do not.
Air cargo space is significantly tighter than ocean or overland space is. For services that reach the clouds – you want a freight forwarder with some flight experience. In fact, many air freight forwarders actually own and operate their own planes.
International air cargo is usually managed by either an air freight forwarder or an air freight consolidator. Is there a significant difference between the two?
An air freight forwarder may offer consolidation services through a third party, but they usually don’t do so directly. These forwarders may own their own planes, or they may simply be a freight service that negotiates with other airlines on behalf of your company.
An air freight consolidator doesn’t own or operate any kind of air fleet; its freight consolidation services are through its relationships with air cargo carriers. There might be times when they also work with smaller freight forwarding companies who do own their own planes.
When you work with an air freight consolidator, the process goes through the following steps.
Depending on the size and scope of the air forwarder or consolidator you work with, you may not even realize you are working with one or the other. Some forwarders are large enough to have connections with other types of carriers, such as trucking companies or ocean container vessels.
If that were the case, you could benefit from having the same forwarding service cover your shipment from departure until it arrives at your front door.
Before using this service, learn about the documents required for freight forwarding.
Moving freight internationally involves communicating with multiple parties, especially for freight that is entering the United States. Although you can go online now and find airlines offering cargo options, booking is only one part of air freight logistics.
Air freight forwarders make the shipping process simple and straightforward for their clients.
They can make arrangements covering:
Completing these steps requires large amounts of coordination and significant communication. Not to mention, you might also need your forwarder to communicate with customs brokerage firms for international shipping.
Unless you want to devote a considerable amount of your time to managing every step of air transport personally, hire an air freight forwarder to do it instead.
Want to know about more potential benefits? Read our articles on the advantages of air freight shipping services and the benefits of using a freight forwarder.
International agencies, private and government, will often use an air freight forwarder to make international exchanges easier.
Aside from the usual logistics challenges that come with any kind of shipping, such as proper packing and consolidation of shipments, air freight forwarders must also handle:
Air freight experts have the connections to get their clients over these hurdles, sometimes even having offices in foreign nations.
Specific industries that often benefit from a well-set-up supply chain route include:
This list includes items that are lightweight or high value, sometimes both. Freight shipping by air is faster and more secure, features that these industries rely on.
Want to know how a freight forwarder differs from a freight broker or an NVOCC? Check out our articles to learn more!
All shipping and freight forwarders do their best to make sure your cargo arrives within the expected time frame and free from damage. That said, both delivery speed and package security are often greater when shipping through air freight companies.
Just taking hour-by-hour travel time into account, a plane is going to be faster than a ship or a truck. Even a plane making multiple stops is likely to get to its destination faster than a ship going direct.
Just compare some of the standard travel times for major trade routes across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
| Container Ship (China to U.S. West Coast) | 15+ days |
| Container Ship (China to U.S. East Coast) | 25+ days |
| Airplane (China to U.S.) | 1- 5 days |
| Container Ship (Europe to U.S. East Coast) | 10 – 22 days |
| Airplane (Europe to U.S.) | 4 – 11 days |
Flights themselves don’t take days but making the necessary arrangements might. Much like ships, planes want to leave with a load that justifies the cost of fuel and other expenses.
It’s possible to get overnight or next-day shipping via air, but it’s going to cost you more as an express service. Regulations for flights are much stricter than those for air, both in terms of security and weight. For sensitive and valuable goods that need monitoring, these are good things.
As far as overall safety and security, air freight also has the highest quality. In a warehouse waiting for departure, there isn’t a great deal of difference, though airplane hangers do tend to have more security.
There are two dangers that ships must regularly contend with that are not a problem for air cargo customers.
If cargo is lost on a plane, it’s because the entire plane has suffered some kind of catastrophe. Even taking into account commercial passenger planes, there has only been 528 plane crashes worldwide since tracking of major airliners began in 1970. That’s about 10 incidents per year.
As far as piracy is concerned, though plane hijackings are rare – tragically, they do happen. However, those that have occurred have more to do with ill-conceived political and social movements rather than money.
At the end of the day, just looking at statistics, your goods will be safer on board an aircraft than they would be on board a cargo ship.
Air freight forwarders are committed to making sure that your cargo gets to its destination well secured and within a set timeline.
Trying to free yourself from the delays associated with ocean freight shipping services? Maybe you just have a load of extra special cargo that needs a little extra attention and security. An air freight forwarder is an excellent choice for either solution.
USA Freight Forwarding Services can assist you with International Air Cargo worldwide. We’ll help you book cargo space, get the necessary documents, and negotiate for you to get the best rates and service possible,
Not sure if air freight is ideal for you? Consult with one of our freight forwarding experts 1-on-1 and have your questions answered today.
We offer a variety of freight forwarding services aimed at helping you ship your goods with ease. No matter what type of freight you’re shipping, we can offer the following services:
Call us now at (866) 941- 8081 to find out more or schedule your 1-on-1 consultation now. If you already know what cargo you need to ship, request an online quote today.
