Earn an Extra 40,000 RMB by Shipping 5 Tons of Air Freight to Middle East
Earn an extra 40,000 RMB by shipping 5 tons of air freight to Middle East. Do you know how they do it? Some customers tell freight forwarders that they want direct air shipping to door. However, some unethical forwarders switch it to connecting flights instead. Shipments from Shenzhen connect via Singapore to Dubai, then go through customs at the destination port and deliver to door.
When customers ask why their air freight hasn’t arrived in five or six days, these forwarders claim the goods are being inspected at the destination port.
They make fake inspection documents at the destination port and send them to customers, saying the inspection will cause another four or five days’ delay. Counting working days, the total time including shipping and fake inspection is almost the same as connecting flights via Singapore, leaving customers with no complaints. Direct flights cost 26 RMB per kg, while connecting flights cost 18 RMB per kg. For 5 tons of cargo, that’s a profit of 40,000 RMB.
When shipping cross-border air freight to Middle East, there are 4 common tricks used by freight forwarders. 90% of new sellers have fallen for these scams.
1. Bait and switch
Freight forwarders attract you with extremely low air freight rates. The market price for general cargo is 25 RMB, but they quote 18 RMB. They actually replace direct flights with connecting flights and blame flight delays when questioned.
2. Unauthorized mixed sensitive cargo
They accept general cargo at low prices, but secretly mix in electronic cigarettes, battery-powered or magnetic goods without permission. If your cargo is inspected, you may lose both your goods and payment.
3. Broken promises
They promise direct flights for your cargo, but mix direct and connecting flights together. When questioned, they claim a scanning error and say they will be more careful next time.
4. Unsafe mixed loading
They combine dangerous goods and consolidated cargo with only general cargo on the surface. Once inspected, shipments are delayed or the forwarder disappears.
Therefore, there are ways to find a reliable air freight to Middle East forwarder. Don’t only compare prices at the beginning. The air freight to Middle East market is already very mature, and operating costs among forwarders are similar. So price quotes usually do not differ by more than 5%. If someone offers 20-30% lower prices, there must be a catch.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t compare prices at all. Small differences still exist. Different forwarders have different channels and resources. Choosing the right one can still save you 5% on logistics costs.
How do you choose the right one? In the logistics industry, especially international logistics, you need to look at overall strength. Choose speed at the same price, choose reputation at the same speed, and check their warehouse if reputations are similar.
Small shell companies with only 3 or 4 people always talk about asset-light operations. They rent warehouses or even have no warehouses at all. They can handle small orders but fail completely with high-end clients. To excel at air freight to Middle East, a forwarder must have its own warehouse.
DL has a 20,000-square-meter foreign trade warehouse in Yantian, 6 stories high. Foreign clients often visit and speak highly of it.