Solid offer—freight forwarding lives or dies on clarity and execution. To simplify fast, align on lanes and shipment profiles (weights, dims, hazmat), Incoterms (EXW, FOB, DDP), customs data (HS codes, COO, valuations), and service tiers (air/sea/road, express vs. economy). Ask for quotes that break out base rate, FSC/SSC, surcharges, brokerage, and insurance; compare not just price but transit time reliability, cut-off times, exceptions handling, and visibility (milestone tracking, POD). Set KPIs (on-time performance, damage/shortage rate, dwell), and agree escalation paths before peak season.
If part of your volumes are direct-to-consumer or marketplace orders, pairing forwarding with robust fulfillment makes a big difference—here’s a concise overview of
logistics for e-Commerce you can use as a benchmark for integrations, SLAs, and returns.