If you have come to the point that products are being exported and you are triumphantly working with multiple distributors in another nation, you can safely say that you are on your way to success. For other business owners, success might be conquering their own nation and being the biggest seller domestically. However, really becoming a global brand that is recognized all across the world is truly the dream you should have. How you make this into a reality is really vision and practicality. The vision you require is something that is easy to understand however small business owners are left in the dark when it comes to making it practically real. The two main points you’ll have to work on is building your relationship with the loading company and the cargo company. One does the loading and the other does the transporting. But letting go of your products is the final part of your role in this three-way triangle.

Set your standards

Although the loading company will have it’s own rules and regulations, it’s key that you work a deal out that allows you to have some influence in how load your containers and products. For example, you can choose and provide your own lifting slings which will be for very heavy boxes and containers of course. If you simply want peace of mind, then using equipment that you have tested and or trust the most, is going to allow you to sleep soundly at night. It’s vital you get the approval of the loading company first and work it out in your contract. Using your own slings is what many businesses decide to do because they would rather not risk large accidents that could damage a lot of their ordered inventory during the loading process. 

Keep global track

Cargo ships are incredibly large vessels that fool the eye. On the surface they look like mundane ships and even rudimentary. However below the water they are some of the most sophisticated ships in the world. They are designed to brave the water and sail over large waves. And yet they do still possess a manmade quality which leaves them vulnerable to things like storms, rogue waves and mechanical malfunctions. Form a close relationship with the cargo company so you can have early warnings of any shipments that are going to be late due to any of these reasons. In turn, you can inform your export partners and keep them from being confused and aggravated that their order of your products has not arrived on time.

Stepping in 

Very rarely will you have a dispute among loading companies at docks and cargo ships. However, remember that businesses are just people, not faceless figures. If you can step into a dispute to help a situation, you should do so. This might be something like the cargo ship needing to get some new latches before the loading starts. If you can buy such rigging screws to help speed things up, you should offer to do so.

It cannot ever be overstated how important it is to work together with cargo and loading companies so your overseas distributors can rely on you to make consistent shipments.