// ROBOTICS AND SMART FACTORIES TERM
Freight Forwarder
A freight forwarder is a company that specializes in organizing shipments for individuals or corporations to get goods from the manufacturer or producer to a market, customer, or final point of distribution.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
A freight forwarder is a third-party logistics (3PL) provider that acts as an intermediary between shippers and various transportation services (e.g., ocean carriers, airlines, trucking companies), arranging and managing the complex logistics of international and domestic freight movement.
BACKGROUND
A freight forwarder or forwarding agent is a person or a company who co-ordinates and organizes the movement of shipments on behalf of a shipper by liaising with carriers. The carriers may use a variety of shipping modes, including ships, airplanes, trucks, and railroads, and often use multiple modes for a single shipment. A freight forwarder does not move the goods but acts as an agent in the logistics network and will carry out freight consolidation, rate negotiations, shipment tracking, customs and other documentation, among other tasks. FIATA describes a freight forwarder as the "architect of transport".
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- Shipping agent
- logistics provider
- cargo agent
- customs broker
- forwarder
USAGE NOTE
Businesses often use freight forwarders to handle the complexities of international shipping and customs.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Freight Forwarder.
A digital freight forwarder and customs broker that has built a cloud-based platform to provide real-time visibility and control over supply chains. The platform helps companies manage international shipping, customs brokerage, and trade financing.
One of the world's largest traditional freight forwarders, which has heavily invested in technology. Their myKN platform provides customers with a digital portal to quote, book, and track shipments, as well as access analytics and reporting.
A European-based digital freight forwarder developing a platform to make global trade more transparent, efficient, and sustainable. Their technology provides supply chain visibility, communication, and data analytics for sea, air, and rail freight.
A global third-party logistics (3PL) company that develops and utilizes Navisphere, a proprietary technology platform. Navisphere connects their entire network and provides customers with real-time visibility, predictive analytics, and supply chain management tools.
A technology company providing an advanced real-time transportation visibility platform. While not a forwarder, its technology is critical for modern freight forwarders and shippers to track shipments across all modes of transport and gain predictive insights.
A UK-based digital freight forwarder that provides a collaborative platform for managing supply chains. Their technology focuses on providing end-to-end visibility, from supplier to warehouse, helping businesses make data-driven decisions.
A software-as-a-service provider that creates logistics and supply chain management solutions. They develop technology used by freight forwarders for global trade intelligence, customs compliance, transportation management, and route planning.