International shipping? Yeah it’s kind of our thing.
International shipping is the movement of freight across international borders.
There are three methods of shipping internationally: air and ocean.
How successful your international shipping ventures go depends on your freight shipping strategies.
So let’s take a look at international freight shipping services in general, U.S. to Canada freight shipping services and freight shipping strategies.
International Freight Shipping Services
Here is a list of freight shipping services:
Less than truckload (LTL): This shipping service is designed for shipments larger than a parcel but not as big as to need the space of a full truckload trailer. Shipments between 150 and 15,000 pounds typically use an LTL shipping service.
Full truckload: A full truckload shipping service typically moves bulk or pallet loads large enough for the use of a semi-trailer. Typically, these shipments are more than 15,000 pounds. This shipping service can be cost-effective, and it can reduce freight damage because there is less handling involved than in less than truckload shipping. Full truckload can be more cost-effective if you’re shipping a lot of goods.
Partial truckload: With this shipping service, you have the option to split the cost of a truck among other shippers. This is a good shipping option if your shipment is 5,000 pounds or over.
Intermodal: Intermodal shipping usually refers to shipping that involves rail and truck. However, cargo ships can also be involved in the transportation process. Using rail to help transport your shipment can result in less fuel use and lower costs.
Expedited: You can use this shipping service for time-sensitive shipments. These shipments are usually transported by air or truck. Shipments that use an expedited shipping service and are transported on an air carrier can reach just about any border in the world in anywhere from one day to three days.
Canada Freight Shipping
When you ship to Canada, you’ll have to consider customs paperwork and duty restrictions.
When it comes to the paperwork and other detailed matters, your freight agent can help you. For example, your shipment must be prepared for a border inspection service when it gets to a port of entry.
You can decrease wait times for your shipment if you have already prepared all of the customs paperwork and declarations that are required in advance.
Shipping internationally to Canada requires you to work with a credible and reliable shipping provider, such as Ramsay Customs and Logistics.
Professional international freight shipping services will know the paperwork you need to complete for your shipment. Providers become a single point of contact for your cross-border shipments, offering other services like:
- Custom routing solutions
- The maintaining of an extensive network throughout Canada
- Fast international shipping
- Excellent customer service
How to improve your freight shipping logistics:
- Understand international addresses: To begin, you must have an origin address and a destination address for international freight shipping. Depending on where you are shipping to, the format your destination address is in may not be familiar to you.
- Fill out forms carefully: Customs forms tend to have many pages, so make sure you have filled out each one correctly.
- Protect your shipment: Your shipment will be more exposed to varying temperatures with ocean freight. If the products in your shipment are sensitive to extreme temperatures or temperature changes, consider talking to your logistics provider about what you can do to protect your shipment.
- Consider timing: Ocean freight tends to take longer than air freight — a month versus a couple of days. Air freight is ideal for time-sensitive shipments.
- Understand customs requirements: Customs requirements differ from country to country.Luckily, there’s a standardized guide used across the world to identify goods being imported.
Ready to ship?
Contact your professionals at Ramsay Customs & Logistics today!