Couriers and freight forwarders are different options for different shipping needs. For large shipments, business owners usually wonder if they should use a freight forwarder or a courier for their packages.

We’ll go through the differences between these two options and hopefully help you decide which transportation method is right for your needs.

Definition of Freight Forwarders

A freight forwarder is a person or company that organizes shipments for individuals or corporations to get goods from the manufacturer or producer to a market, customer, or final point of distribution. Forwarders contract with a carrier or often multiple carriers to move the goods.

A forwarder does not move the goods but acts as an expert in the logistics network. The carriers can use a variety of shipping modes, including ships, airplanes, trucks, and railroads, and often use multiple modes for a single shipment. For example, the freight forwarder may arrange to have cargo moved from a plant to an airport by truck, flown to the destination city, and then moved from the airport to a customer’s building by another truck.

Definition of courier services

Courier services, on the other hand, are companies that personally handle your goods from pickup to delivery. Businesses are more likely to use a courier for specialized deliveries.

What’s right for you?

If your packages need to travel long distances, a freight forwarder is the best transportation method for you. Also, if your shipment requires, import/export requirements and another tax tracking, freight forwarding companies can handle these areas seamlessly for you.

On the other hand, if your business is looking for a more personalized transportation service, couriers are the right option for you. Couriers are excellent at delivering shipments directly to customers and handling special loads. You’ll always be able to track and identify where your package is at any given time, giving you and your customers more control over your packages.

Dotexpress would fall under the second condition: we are a family-owned courier that only operates locally assuring businesses with the best rates for a superior service operating locally.