Small businesses that need to ship goods by sea face a confusing array of options, vendors and regulations. Ocean shipping also carries an equally baffling array of insider terminology. Many businesses use an agent or a freight shipper to coordinate freight shipping. Finding the right information and ocean freight companies to guide you through these murky waters is essential. Some preliminary questions to consider include:
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Get your feet wet in ocean shipping
In many cases, shipping cargo by ocean transport means understanding the ins and outs of import/export and logistics. Take some time to learn the freight shipping lingo and basic facts before deciding whether and how to ship goods with a freight shipper.
I recommend: The U.S. Department of Commerce site
Export.gov contains a
Basic Guide to Exporting with a good intro to
shipping issues and an explanation of what a freight shipper is and does.
Locate a freight shipper to ship your goods
Ocean freight companies act on behalf of your company by coordinating shipping overseas. A freight shipper compiles the costs of ocean shipping into a single quote encompassing items such as freight shipping costs, customs fees, insurance and handling.
I recommend: LogLink contains an alphabetical listing of ocean freight companies.
Forwarders.com also contains an extensive listing of freight shipping forwarders. Research freight shipping carriers yourself by perusing the listings on
World Wide Shipping. The
National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America provides export businesses with information on its members.
Know the relevant rules and regulations of ocean freight shipping
Whether or not you'll need to obtain special permission to ship your products by ocean transport depends upon the type and amount of product and the country or region.
I recommend: The U.S. Department of Commerce provides a
guide to export regulations and licenses and a listing of
government departments that regulate exports. To get a feel for international conventions and freight shipping regulations, visit
World Customs Organization. Los Angeles law firm Countryman & McDaniel provides an extensive listing of links related to
maritime law and regulation of ocean freight companies.
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