Questions to ask an international freight forwarder & logistics partner

It can be hard to find a company to trust with freight forwarding your precious cargo. How do they keep track of freight? What happens if an item is lost or broken while in transit? What if your perishable items need to be transported at a specific temperature – can they be safely shipped?

Every business is different and has different requirements when it comes to logistics. Here are some answers to some frequently asked questions to help you choose the best international freight forwarder and logistics partner for your needs.

What industries do you service?

The best shipping companies will provide a wide variety of services with experienced staff and rigorous systems in place to ensure your freight is handled and shipped according to specialised need.

Aside from the usual items, Avion has experience in handling:

– dangerous goods, flammable and IMO-classified products (chemicals), and works with certified partners with large, temperature-controlled warehouses (+15 to -35°C) and special packing.

– pharmaceutical: As the medical device and pharmaceutical industry are governed by strict transport regulations, Avion relies on a network of specialised and certified pharma shipping partners, who use certified equipment for isothermal control and packing to ensure constant temperatures throughout the entire distribution chain by air, sea, or land.

– textiles and fashion: Multimodal shipping solutions allows Avion to meet the tightest delivery times required by manufacturers and retailers.

I need constant, temperature-controlled shipping for wine and cheese – can you do that?

Absolutely. Avion adheres to the Refrigerated ATP (Accord Transport Perissable) regulation for the isothermal shipping of fresh, frozen, and perishable food stuffs. Constant temperature monitoring is essential from storage to delivery.  

To preserve the integrity of the products, Avion uses both reefer and dry isothermal containers with controlled atmospheres and temperatures. Special containers with cooling masses inside are reserved for fresh and frozen products to prevent any break in the cold chain.

The use of data loggers, which record the temperature and humidity of the travel environments, allows real-time shipment monitoring throughout all stages of the food and perishable product supply chain.

Which regions do you service?

Avion has a wide network of partners and offices at all major international maritime and air traffic hubs throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, and beyond to provide end-to-end shipping solutions.

How long have you been in business?

Anyone can set up a business and say are experts. Real expertise comes from many years of doing the same thing and finessing it until you have the perfect solution. Avion International Australia has 15 years’ experience in providing integrated global logistics solutions. In that time, they have moved from a traditional freight forwarder to a global logistics solution and have safely and efficiently shipped countless pieces of freight from one side of the globe to the other.

What systems do you have in place to track freight?

Ever had an item go missing during transit? It is incredibly frustrating, and with modern surveillance and logistics systems, it is unacceptable. Look for a freight forwarding organisation that has transparent logistics systems so they can track your items from the start of their journey to delivery. From consolidation to deconsolidation, inventory management to picking and packing, tracking and distribution, Avion’s systems track your freight whether you are shipping by air, road, or sea.

Avion’s ediEnterprise online system is a complete global freight solution to manage bookings, local cartage, transport, shipping, customs, and warehousing. Avion exchanges data in real time with agents, customers and other partners which users can see when they log into the system.

Avion Australia provides international freight forwarding and customs clearance consultancy services and offers shipping by air, land, sea and rail. Get a quote or find out more here.