Packair Air Freight Services
Looking for a reliable, hassle-free air freight forwarding company? Don’t just ship it, Packair it!
Packair is proud to provide international air freight forwarding services to companies looking to ship air cargo all over the world. While we’re based in Los Angeles, we’ve shipped across the globe for more than 40 years, serving as the broker of choice for clients such as the U.S. State Department, the California University of Technology and Paramount Pictures.
No matter your freight forwarding needs, we can help. Get a free quote on your freight services shipping needs today!
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What is Air Freight Forwarding?
Air freight forwarding is vital to importing and exporting goods around the world.
Say you want to ship your cargo by air to another country. The process isn’t as simple as putting it on a plane and sending it on its way. Importing and exporting goods across borders requires a deep knowledge of regulations, paperworks and logistics to get right. Ensuring that your shipment is properly handled, stored and received is also no easy task.
That’s where air freight forwarders come in. Companies like Packair specialize in storing and shipping cargo by air or other means of transportation on behalf of their clients. We handle all the tracking, transportation, paperwork, warehousing, booking, insurance and other complicated parts of the shipping process so you don’t have to. Through our deep partnerships with various carriers, we balance speed, cost, reliability and your needs to find the best possible shipping method for your business.
Freight forwarding companies may go by a variety of different names. Some may refer to themselves as forwarding agents, non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCC), or simple forwarders. All of these companies serve a similar purpose: to arrange the transportation of your cargo.
When you work with a freight forwarder like Packair, you get absolute peace of mind that your shipping needs will be comprehensively met. When it comes to importing and exporting all around the world, we’re the experts!
Why Use an Air Freight Company?
People use freight forwarding services for peace of mind. Freight forwarders take on all of the headaches and complexities of the import/export process, allowing their clients to operate their businesses reliably, consistently and efficiently. Some larger companies do have in-house resources totally devoted to navigating the world of shipping around the world, but for companies who don’t, freight forwarding is a necessary and valuable service.
Where does the client’s job end and the freight forwarder’s job begin? It depends on the cargo. If necessary, many freight forwarding companies will offer “dock to door” service upon request. This full-service approach entails filing all documentation for export and contacting and managing carriers, as well as the more mundane tasks of packing, crating and storing the cargo. Freight forwarders also hold insurance policies that are designed for international shipping, meaning their clients do not have to shell out for this kind of protection. This type of service can be a lifesaver for small-to-medium exporters who may not have the resources to keep up with all of the logistics associated with importing and exporting by air.
With that in mind: is freight forwarding worth it? For most small and medium sized companies, the answer is wholeheartedly yes. Freight forwarding is what makes importing and exporting possible, as it enables these companies to navigate the complex world of international shipping in a relatively simple fashion. On top of that, many freight forwarding companies have already negotiated shipping discounts with their carriers. The slight premium a company may pay to hire a freight forwarding is usually far outweighed by the benefits of the forwarder’s years of experience and deep partnerships with all stakeholders in the shipping process.
Is Air or Ocean Freight Forwarding More Cost-Effective?
The method that you use to forward your freight can often determine cost, delivery dates and other factors. Often, our clients struggle to figure out whether they’d save more money with air forwarding than with ocean forwarding. Which is cheaper?
The short answer is: it depends, as the costs are determined based on different factors.
Cargo sent by air is priced according to its weight. The heavier the cargo, the more expensive it will be to ship.
Cargo sent on a ship, meanwhile, is priced according to volume. The more room it takes up on the ship, the more expensive it will be.
As a rule of thumb, smaller and lighter cargo will likely cost less to ship by air, and it will also generally ship faster and more reliably. Larger, heavier cargo may be cheaper to ship via ocean forwarding.
If you aren’t sure of the best way to send your cargo, no worries – we’re happy to help you figure it out. Just give us a call!
How do I get a Quote for Air Freight Services?
Our air freight specialists are happy to give you a free quote on forwarding your cargo. In order to price out your shipping needs, we’ll ask the following:
- How many shipments will you be shipping?
- What type of packaging will you use?
- How much packaging will you use?
- How much does that packaging weigh?
- How much does the cargo weigh?
- What are the dimensions of your packaging?
- What are the dimensions of your cargo?
- What are you shipping?
- What is the estimated value of your cargo?
- Will you require pickup?
- Would you like to purchase additional insurance?
- How many shipments do you make per month?
The answers to these questions will help our specialists to design a free customized quote for your shipping needs. Depending on what those needs are, they may need additional information in order to accurately quote the required services.
What Does the Team at Packair Offer?
Our air freight team offers a wide variety of services customized to your needs. Often, these include:
- Priority air transport
- Export and import consolidated air and direct-to-consignee transport;
- Worldwide charter and special transport;
- Door-to-airport delivery;
- How much does the cargo weigh?
- Door-to-door delivery excluding duties/taxes (DDU);
- Door-to-door delivery including duties/taxes (DDP);
- Access to licensed and experienced in-house customs brokers for your import needs;
- Access to an extensive international freight forwarding network, with full A-Z services from origin to destination;
- Cargo insurance arrangements (with some restrictions based on item);
- Warehousing, distribution, fulfillment, cross-border e-commerce and delivery services;
- Special air freight rates for bulk movements;
- Access to ocean and ground freight services tailored to your shipping needs.
No matter what you need to ship, the Packair team can help.
Alternatives to Air Freight Forwarding
Packair’s services are not limited to air forwarding! We’ve provided a variety of shipping services for the past four decades, including:
- Ocean freight forwarding;
- Ground freight forwarding;
- Cargo insurance;
- Custom crating;
- Drayage services;
- Courier services;
- And more!