Freight Forwarder vs Courier

CourierAre you sending a (1) package to someone anywhere in the world? You will use a courier. Do you have a cargo shipment that needs to be shipped? You need a Freight Forwarder.

While this is a rudimentary explanation of the differences between the two, it does provide a quick answer to one of the most common questions we receive. For the most part, freight forwarders are better for businesses to ship to each other while couriers are better for people to send to each other.

While the black and white answer comes down to size, there is a gray area that is worth exploring in depth, so if you are a business owner wondering whether it’s easier to choose a freight forwarder vs courier, this is the blog for you.

What does a courier Do?

Carriers are short for mail carriers. This means that they are an intricate network of people sending packages to other people. Examples of Mail Carriers are going to be FedEx, UPS, USPS and DHL.

CarrierWhat does a Freight Forwarder Do?

While they will work with companies like those listed above, they are also more inclined to work with private companies that specialize in large-scale shipping services.

The Freight Forwarder can personally own intermodal shipping services, but most of the time they simply act as a broker between the client and the different air, land, and sea carriers to find the optimal price and speed for moving getting your products to their destination.

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Working with a Freight Forwarding Company is simply about communicating your wants and needs with the people who can provide the service necessary. If you want to ship something small, then you will want ship that package with a courier.

But if you have cargo or a large scale shipment you will want to use a freight forwarder who will use their connections and their knowledge of the business to find the best route, speed, and price to service your specific needs.

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