Freight Services
Ocean Freight — Import & Export
You can rest assured that placing your cargo for import or export with Professional Freight Solutions will ensure that you are privy to receiving the best rates available. P.F.S. have space agreements with all mainstream shipping lines and can negotiate spot or contract rates as may be required.
Whether it be Full Containers (FCL) or smaller part load consignments (LCL) our neutrality will guarantee the best of all options available for shipments to and from any destination worldwide.
We offer free and impartial advice on all aspects of Freight Forwarding and try to educate our clients into looking at the whole cost of the shipment rather than the possible cheapest freight rate only which will render them liable to incurring higher costs on arrival at shipment destination. Our advice will encompass the all important aspect of transit times and direct or indirect services.
For imports, when purchasing from overseas it is imperative that you understand the contracted terms and come to understand their potential liabilities. International shipping contracts are based on Incoterms which are a set of internationally accepted uniform rules. These define both the rights and obligations for each of buyer and seller in an international shipping transaction.
The most common complaint of an Importer is due to them buying on a C&F basis which leaves full control of the shipping with the Exporter. This renders the Importer liable to UK costs over which they have no control nor, which they would have formed a correct budget for at the outset. It is the Exporter who benefits from choosing the shipping line which would most suit them.
This is especially the case on LCL shipments, where in some instances Exporters can actually be paid to ship cargo, with the result being that the Importers find themselves having to pay compensatory charges to rebate origin for the freight. Another example would be a consignment which would potentially only fill half a 20ft shipping container, but which if shipped LCL on a C&F basis would incur huge UK Terminal Handling costs, rather than the standard £140.00 Terminal Handling Charge for a FCL shipment.
In view of the above two paragraphs, we would urge all Importers to investigate fully the merits of purchasing on an FOB basis. If you ask the supplier for an FOB quote, then we can discuss with you the transit time desired and provide you with a quote for both the Ocean Freight charges and all of the associated UK costs.
We place an extremely strong emphasis on constant progress reporting via email to our customers, with the aim that the workload experienced by the client can be reduced due to "agent chasing" being eliminated. We update to all parties concerned at every stage of the shipment process on the same email chain, from start to finish.
Cross Trades
Many Freight Forwarders restrict themselves to operating to and/or from their country of operation. P.F.S. do not and are able to competently handle Cross Trade shipments on behalf of our clients.
There need be no illusion of complexity for such a transaction and we have handled seafreight shipments on routes such as from China to Australia and Italy to India on a CIF basis, for clients around the world.
Ocean Freight services
FCL and LCL shipping for both import and export cargo
Deep Sea and Short Sea services
Conventional vessel / break bulk cargo for shipments too large to fit into ocean containers
RO-RO – Roll-on / Roll-off transport to and from the UK
Purchase of shippers own containers and slot purchase with lines for shipment
