Choosing a Freight Partner

Start with Your Shipment

If you are buying from Chinese suppliers for a US warehouse, start with the product and the receiving location. Add the supplier locations, estimated carton data and when the goods will be ready. Mark estimates clearly; you do not need final packing details to begin a conversation.

Mention batteries, branded products or special handling needs before a route is proposed. For several suppliers, explain whether you need to wait for every order or can ship part of the goods first. These details give a forwarder something specific to assess.

Plan a shipment from several suppliers

Eight Checks Before Booking

Use the questions below with each provider. Keep the answers with the quote so you can compare the same service, not just different sales descriptions.

An unanswered item is a follow-up question, not automatically a reason to reject a provider. Ask for the missing detail before making the booking decision.

Confirm the Roles

A sales contact, a freight forwarder, an ocean carrier and a customs broker can be different parties. Ask who you are engaging and who is responsible for each handover. A logo on a website does not establish those relationships.

For US ocean transport, the Federal Maritime Commission explains the different roles of ocean freight forwarders and non-vessel-operating common carriers. Use the relevant business name and role when checking records. This is an ocean-transport check, not a universal credential for air freight.

Reference: FMC on ocean transportation intermediaries

Ask separately who will act as importer of record for your shipment and which customs broker will handle the entry. Record how missing product information will be requested and returned. Do not assume the final warehouse takes on the import role because its address appears on the shipment.

Understand the import and customs roles

Ask for Useful Evidence

DHL's partner-selection guide discusses service flexibility, compliance support and shipment visibility. Turn those general qualities into questions about your own shipment: which alternatives could be considered, which documents need review, and which milestones will be reported.

Reference: DHL on choosing an air cargo partner

• Ask for a redacted update showing the last confirmed milestone, what is outstanding and the next action.
• Ask how a packing change would be reflected in the quote and shipment records.
• If a provider shares a case, check that its cargo type, delivery point and timing assumptions are relevant to your needs. One successful shipment is not a guarantee for another.

Protect your own supplier and customer information too. A redacted example is sufficient for an initial discussion; agree on a suitable channel before sharing confidential transaction records.

Compare Like for Like

Flexport's guidance on requesting logistics proposals emphasizes clear shipment needs and the full range of costs rather than the base rate alone. You can apply that principle without running a formal tender.

Reference: Flexport on comparing logistics proposals

Send both providers the same cargo details, receiving address and requested work. For DDP, ask how the proposed service covers customs, duties and delivery, and how any unresolved costs will be handled. Keep insurance and unloading arrangements explicit rather than assuming they are included.

Compare DDP quotes and download the worksheet

Before You Book

• Save the agreed cargo version and the written quote together.
• Confirm the contracting company, payment instructions and shipment contacts.
• List missing documents and who will provide them.
• Confirm the delivery location and the warehouse's receiving conditions.
• Record any open charge, timing or responsibility question and obtain an answer before committing.

Incoterms describe responsibilities in a sale of goods; they do not settle every payment or dispute term. Keep the sales agreement and the freight service terms available when checking what has been agreed.

Reference: International Trade Administration on Incoterms