Freight forwarding company

​​Yes, a freight forwarder will arrange to clear your goods through customs. At Pinnacle, we offer this as a part of our end-to-end shipment service for imports.

The exporter of record is usually the owner of the goods, rather than the freight forwarder.

The importer of record is usually the owner, purchaser, or consignee who has ownership of the imported goods at the time of importation.

Freight forwarders provide transport solutions to businesses wanting to send packages, crates and containers from one country to another. Freight forwarders act on behalf of importers and exporters to get their client’s goods to their destination on time and in good condition. This means booking cargo with shipping lines, airlines, rail or road carriers. 

Other responsibilities also include preparing and checking bills of carriage, arranging insurance, ensuring the lowest possible customs charges are levied and, where necessary, arranging storage.

Whilst a freight forwarder is not mandatory for importing or exporting goods, enlisting the services of one will most likely save you a lot of time and effort. This is because a freight forwarder will guide you through the entire shipping process from start to finish, taking on the responsibility of getting your goods from A to B and helping you to avoid any unforeseen costs or unwelcome surprises.

Importing and exporting goods is often far from straightforward. Using a freight forwarder makes the shipping process as smooth as possible. Freight forwarders have all of the industry expertise and knowledge necessary to ensure that costs are reduced where possible, any documentation is all correct and submitted on time and any mistakes are avoided.

Freight forwarders offer any or all of the following services: warehousing, shipping, documentation preparation, obtaining insurance and handling claims, consolidation of freight, booking cargo space and tracking goods.

At Pinnacle, we offer the full range of freight forwarding services from air, sea and road freight, import, export and domestic warehousing.

At Pinnacle, our quotations and invoicing are transparent so that our customers are clear on what they are being charged. We can also structure our costings to suit our customer’s requirements where possible, such as giving a detailed breakdown of individual costs or giving a lump sum figure.

Here is a list of common charge categories:

• Cargo type – e.g. general-purpose, hazardous, dangerous
• Weight and volume
• Packing and palletization
• Carrier/haulier costs
• Warehousing and storage
• Insurance

Yes, we provide you with 24/7 access to tracking information through our online Global Track & Trace service. It offers the ability to view live event updates, documentation and more. You can also schedule bespoke reports direct to your inbox. Alongside this, we also have a comprehensive online PO management system that enables you to manage your supply chain effectively and efficiently via one system.

At Pinnacle Freight, we hold the following accreditations and assurances:

• Federal Maritime Commission (FMC)
• National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America, INC. (NCBFAA)
• Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT)
• IATA Endorsed Agent (CNS)

In order to provide an accurate quote, we would need the following fundamental information providing:

• Origin
• Destination
• Mode(s) of transport
• Commodity
• Weights and dimensions
• Incoterms
• Deadlines
• Hazardous information (if applicable)

This depends on the shipping line, consignee requirements and the local transport regulations. As a general rule of thumb, we would usually recommend 40,000lbs – 42,000 lbs / 71cbm per 40ft high cube container. For a 20ft container, we would usually recommend 30,000lbs – 33,000lbs / 30cbm per 20ft container. 

Please note, however, that these figures are estimated. It’s always best to check with one of our advisors before confirming your load plan.