What does a shipper check before handing you a first consignment?
Answer
They check your licences and registrations, the liability basis you actually trade under, and whether you have real experience on their specific lane. Cargo liability is where the relationship is tested, so a forwarder who states the basis up front is treated as the safer choice.
An export manager is deciding who moves a consignment worth more than the freight cost several times over.
Information to make clear
Use the fields that affect this buying decision. Leave unsupported claims out.
- Services and modes
- FCL, LCL, air, road and multimodal are different operations.
- Trade lanes actually operated
- Lane experience is what the shipper is buying.
- Incoterms handled
- Determines where your responsibility starts and ends.
- Commodity types handled
- Hazardous, temperature-controlled, project and general cargo differ entirely.
- Customs capability
- In-house brokerage versus an agent changes control and speed.
- Own or partner network by region
- Shippers want to know who actually handles the box.
- Warehouse locations and capability
- Bonded, ambient and temperature-controlled are different offers.
Documents to prepare
State what can be published, shared on request or issued with an order.
| Document | What it supports | Suggested handling |
|---|---|---|
| Licences and registrationsMay be requested at: onboarding | Freight forwarder registration, customs broker licence and multimodal transport operator registration, with numbers | Publish |
| Authorised Economic Operator statusMay be requested at: by exporters who move regularly | Customs-recognised trusted trader status, which affects clearance treatment | Publish |
| FIATA or IATA membershipMay be requested at: credential check | Industry accreditation and access to standard documentation | Publish |
| Liability and insurance termsMay be requested at: before the first consignment | The limits and basis you trade under, and what cargo insurance covers separately | Publish |
| Dangerous goods certificationMay be requested at: where the cargo requires it | Trained staff and authorisation to handle regulated cargo | Publish |
| Standard trading conditionsMay be requested at: should be read before the first booking, rarely is | The contractual terms every shipment moves under | Publish |
| Lane performance evidenceMay be requested at: comparison against the incumbent | Transit times and reliability on the routes you claim | Share on request |
Details to ask in an enquiry
Collect only the information needed to assess the request and respond.
- Origin and destination
- Nothing can be quoted without the lane.
- Mode and service level
- Air, sea, express and economy are different products.
- Cargo details and dimensions
- Weight, volume and stackability drive the rate.
- Commodity and HS code
- Determines restrictions and customs treatment.
- Incoterm
- Defines exactly what you are quoting for.
- Ready date and frequency
- One-off and regular shipments price differently.
Related questions
Should freight rates be published?
Rates move too fast to publish credibly, but the basis should be public: what drives the rate, which surcharges apply, and how long a quote holds. Shippers are not expecting a price list; they are trying to work out whether your quote will still be the price at the end.
How should liability be explained?
State the trading conditions you operate under and the limit that applies, then explain plainly that cargo insurance is separate and how it can be arranged. Forwarders who explain this before a claim get more repeat business than those who explain it after one.
How do we prove lane experience without naming customers?
Publish lanes, modes, typical transit times, shipment frequency and the commodity types you move on each. That establishes experience without a single customer name, and it is more useful to a shipper than a logo wall.
This is an editorial checklist, not a compliance standard. Requirements vary by market, customer and contract. Confirm current requirements with the responsible technical and commercial teams.
Plact Research. Plact's editorial desk for buyer-evidence guides. The guides organize common buyer questions, documents and enquiry fields. Requirements should be checked against current standards, regulations and contracts.