As part of the intermediary service it provides between the exporter and the carrier, the freight forwarder must receive information from the exporter concerning the nature, classification and quantity of the goods, as well as preferred carriers and routing guidelines. The freight forwarder must return information to the exporter concerning the shipment, such as the carrier, cost, vessel, route, packing lists, and bills of lading.

How Amber Road Can Help
Amber Road's export solutions facilitate forwarder collaboration with the use of a dedicated portal. Approved freight forwarders can use the portal to receive and send information regarding the shipment, including status, carrier, cost, etc. The exporter can supply the documents, transaction data and license verifications.

Flexible role-based security makes it possible for freight forwarders to use the portal to access areas of the system that allow them to make booking requests, pack containers (or use other cargo shipment methods), etc. Depending on the range of services the freight forwarder is contracted to provide, each forwarder can have different levels of access to system functions.

If the exporter is also using Amber Road's logistics solutions, there are numerous connections with contract and rate management, carrier selection and shipment visibility functions, among others.

This efficient communication ensures that the freight forwarder has all the information needed to interact efficiently with the exporter and carrier and accurately file the export.