In Shenzhen, there are over 6,000 freight forwarders in the shipping business. How do you choose a reliable international shipping company?

In Shenzhen, the number of freight forwarding companies, both large and small, is estimated to be over 60,000. There are small freight forwarders in urban villages with only a few people, as well as large, powerful freight forwarders. However, they all advertise themselves as capable international shipping companies, making it overwhelming to choose a reliable one.

Having worked in international freight forwarding for 26 years, here are some insights worth considering:

First, look at the registration years of the international shipping company. The longer they have been in business, the stronger their ability to withstand risks. Most freight forwarding companies can only operate for three to four years before closing down, and only a few can survive. Hongmingda international Shipping Company does not rent office space but owns an 1800 square meter Grade A office in a commercial area of Shenzhen. You can video call us anytime to see our office. We have our own logistics fleet, unlike small urban village freight forwarders, and are one of the few in the industry. We manage inventory with our self-developed ERP software and share the interface and data with our clients, which is rare domestically.

Second, look at the number of employees. Most small freight forwarders in urban villages are shell companies with just a few people. When clients ask about their size, they often evade the question. I remember an old Hong Kong client, Manager Zhu, who had worked with us on a few small shipments. This time, he had a larger shipment and was not very familiar with us. While small shipments might not require much consideration, larger shipments necessitate a thorough examination of the international shipping company's capabilities. We have been in the international freight forwarding business in Shenzhen for over 20 years and have more than 50 employees, indicating our strength as an international shipping company. After an on-site visit and communication, Manager Zhu realized our actual scale and remarked, "I thought you were also a small urban village freight forwarder, but I didn't expect you to be this big. With such an international shipping company, why should I worry?"

Third, check which well-known companies the international shipping company collaborates with. Big companies have very strict procedures for selecting freight forwarders, including on-site inspections and documentation, which are not falsified. Therefore, international shipping companies that have worked with big companies are usually strong and sizable. Just like when we select partners, we use whether the other party has worked with big companies as a criterion. For example, Walmart, Costco, Huawei, and nearly 20 other industry giants and over 100 well-known enterprises have been using Hongmingda international Shipping Company for over 10 years. For more than 20 years, Hongmingda Logistics has been punctual, with an on-time rate of 99%, barring natural disasters.

Hongmingda Logistics has its own booking system, trucks, container trailers, and warehousing. Our services include cargo consolidation, collection and transportation, customs clearance, insurance, settlement, and other integrated services. After 26 years of development, Hongmingda Logistics has become one of the few international shipping companies. We are a non-vessel operating common carrier (NV007258) approved by the Ministry of Transport of China, a senior member of the World Cargo Alliance (WCA) (87909), and have joined logistics associations such as WIFFA and JCTRANS since 2006. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is difficult to find another company like ours domestically.

Within the company, we have established the "Sunny Business School" to train employees and continuously improve their business skills. We all have the impression that companies capable of setting up internal academies are high-end, and we are doing the same, which speaks volumes.

As a 26-year-old international shipping company, we care more about our clients' needs than they do. With an on-time rate of 99%, barring natural disasters, if you have any international shipping needs, please contact us at jerry@swwlogistics.com.cn. We are confident that you will be satisfied.