Why Dubai Air Freight Forwarders Struggle Past 3 Years: A Veteran Shares Real Lessons
Let me start with a painful observation: Shenzhen has 60,000 freight forwarders. That means over 1,000 of them do Dubai air freight. Every day, new ones register. Every day, old ones close. Why do many not last past 3 years, while we have been in this business for 28 years? Not saying we are super smart. The longer you work in this game, the more pits you see. I am not trying to brag. I just want to share a few real scenes, especially for friends doing shipping from china to uae. After reading, maybe you can lose less money.
New Staff Training
Take new staff training. Many freight forwarders put new hires on the phone the next day. They almost tape the phone to their ear. Work more, get more done. We are different. New hires first spend one month in an onboarding study group. What do they learn? Half is Dubai air freight business knowledge. The other half is mindset training. Do not look down on the second part. Closed-loop thinking and checkpoint reporting are way more important than memorizing quotes.
A Real Story: Used Equipment To Dubai
I remember a real thing. Lao Ma in Dongguan does used industrial equipment. He got 8 used automatic soldering machines and sent them to an electronics factory in Dubai to set up a production line. First shipment: 3 units, value about USD 42,000, from Shenzhen to Dubai. A newbie in the industry saw no batteries, no liquid, no magnets, and booked it as general cargo. The goods got stuck at Dubai airport for 4 days. Customs gave one reason: “Equipment failed safety inspection.” The young guy did not know that for used industrial equipment clearing customs in Dubai, whether it looks like general cargo or not, customs requires a Mechanical Safety Inspection Report. It also needs clear records of years in use and maintenance of key parts. If any of these three is missing, it gets stuck.
Flight Cancelled At 1:20 A.M.
Then there is flight cancellation. In air freight, the worst thing is your phone ringing at midnight. Once at 1:20 a.m., the airline told us the Shenzhen-to-Dubai flight was cancelled. Client Lin’s 12 boxes of LED lights, 380 kg, were on that flight. She needed them for a Dubai trade show. Within 30 minutes, we did three things: checked backup flights, coordinated space out of Guangzhou Baiyun and Hong Kong; told the client clearly how late it might be; and laid out rebooking options and cost differences for Lin. When you are doing shipping from china to uae, late-night flight cancellations are not rare. The key is: do not let the client be the last to know.
Destination Charges
Then there are destination charges. Many newbies only stare at the origin quote. Then the client goes to Dubai DXB airport to pick up the goods and finds a pile of fees: document swap fee, handling fee, environmental and municipal fees. Lao Chen shipped a batch of clothing accessories to Dubai. For the destination document swap fee, our long-term agent can give 20% off. But government-mandated environmental fees are basically fixed. Do not try to bargain. So for shipping from china to uae, when you quote, it is best to explain possible destination charges upfront. Otherwise, you will argue later.
Wet Damage Claims
Then there are wet damage claims. A shipment of LED lights arrived in Dubai. When picking up, we found the cartons were wet. A newbie might explain to the client first. A veteran’s first reaction is to take photos and videos, and ask ground staff to note “outer packaging wet damage” on the PIR. This is not a formality. Later, when claiming from the airline or insurance, it all depends on the evidence chain. Books teach process. Real work teaches evidence awareness.
The Nail Spirit
Every Wednesday, we also study the “nail spirit.” Simply put, fix your eyes on the goal and do not stop until you get the result. Everyone needs to know Middle East routes and airports by heart. When a client asks, you answer right away. For shipping from china to uae, clients do not want a quoting machine. They want someone who can solve problems.
Final Thoughts
Freight forwarders do not die within 3 years because there is no market demand. They die because they do not polish things inside. To win outside, fix inside first. If you want to forge iron, you must be tough yourself. Train new people first, report in a closed loop, keep the nail spirit. Many accidents can really be stopped early. Just practical stuff. Hope you avoid the pits.