Logistics Companies

Whether youre looking for a courier service for a delivery across town or an international, intermodal supply chain main solution for your factory or production line; finding a logistics company can be a daunting experience. Luckily, weve compiled this guide to talk you through some of the finer points and help you find the perfect logistics company for your individual needs. With a little help, youll soon know exactly what you need and how to go about finding it.

Where Are You Shipping To and How? First off, the most obvious question to begin with is; are you going to need an international transport service? Although most logistics companies offer international deliveries as well as local, not all of them offer the same modes of transportation. For instance, Company A may be able to transport your goods to its destination across the continent, but only by road. Company B may offer air transportation, which youre likely to find cheaper than a lengthy journey by truck.

What Are You Shipping? The most common technical term used by logistics companies is reefer transportation or reefer containers. Simply put, these are refrigerated transportation options, which you may need when moving sensitive goods.

What About Intermodal Transport and Supply Chain Management? Intermodal services offer combinations of transportation options for your unique needs - The further the distance, the more likely youre going to require a combination of different modes of transport. Supply chain management is a continual management and transportation service for production lines and other manufacturing functions. From end to end, supply chain management ensures around the clock delivery and uninterrupted piece of mind

Whos Going to Take Care Of the Paperwork? Ok, so weve given the mode of transportation a bit more thought, but to those who require importing and exporting services, its also essential to consider the paperwork and administration that needs to be taken care of when transporting goods internationally. Ask potential logistic companies about their documentation services.

Conclusion When researching logistics companies, be sure to enquire about:

" Modes of transportation (rail, road, sea and sky) " Intermodal options " Supply chain management " Cargo management and logistics " Reefer transport " Documentation and administration processing " Outsourcing

About The Author About the Author With facilities in Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and even Johannesburg, the South African Container Depots logistics company (SACD) delivers a range of specialised cargo transportation services and solutions to the world. http://www.sacd.co.za/