Forwarding services

Forwarding services: a full range of freight forwarding from Unitex

Unitex company provides comprehensive forwarding services for importing goods to Ukraine from Europe, China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, USA, Turkey. Our profile is wooden products, furniture, windows, confectionery and frozen berries. Cargo insurance is included in the service portfolio or available as an option. We ensure transparency of processes, risk assessment and control of compliance with regulations when forwarding goods of any complexity.

What is included in forwarding services (stages and composition of work)

• Route planning and selection of the optimal transport chain: cost, time and risk analysis.
• Organization of loading/unloading, packaging and labeling taking into account the characteristics of the cargo.
• Preparation of customs documents and support during customs clearance, preparation of a package for banking transactions.
• Coordination of multimodal transportation (sea, air, road, rail) with approval of transit zones.
• Cargo insurance and registration of insurance cases if necessary, including franchise consulting.
• Cargo condition control: temperature regimes, warehousing, sensor monitoring and urgent response to deviations.
• Supplier logistics: document flow, invoices, bills of lading, certificates of origin and conformity.

Forwarder services: what does the forwarding company Unitex do?

• Full support of import: from agreements with the supplier to delivery to your warehouse with the execution of acceptance certificates.

• Finding the optimal price/speed/risk ratio for each order with documented justification of the choice.

• Interaction with ports, carriers, customs and insurers, including the prompt resolution of claims.

• Monitoring compliance with HACCP/PH and other industry requirements when transporting food products and frozen products.
  Individual solutions for sensitive cargo (furniture, windows, wood products) with additional fastening, cushioning and packaging.

   

Unitex provides a transparent chain of responsibility: from commercial contract to customs declaration and turnkey delivery.

Freight forwarding: key processes in freight forwarding

The freight forwarding process includes several parallel tasks: logistics optimization, documentary preparation, insurance, transportation control and organization of the last mile of delivery. Unitex uses standardized procedures to reduce the human factor and time in processing each order. Below is a detailed description of the key stages.

• Contract analysis and recommendations on Incoterms to minimize financial risks.
• Booking of transportation capacities: containers, places on a ship or in a wagon, motor vehicles.
• Coordination of packaging and phytosanitary procedures, development of packaging specifications for each type of cargo.
• Performance monitoring: GPS/TEU/refrigerated containers with telemetry, daily reports for the client.
• Organization of unloading, temporary storage and internal delivery, including preparation of acts and final reports.

Key KPIs used by Unitex when forwarding cargo: ETA compliance (error < 3%), damage percentage (< 0.5% for sensitive groups), customs clearance time (target – within 24 hours after arrival of all documentation) and speed of claims settlement (target – decision within 14 days after submission).

Benefits of ordering forwarding services

• Time savings: one contact instead of coordinating multiple suppliers and carriers.
• Risk reduction: experience in resolving claims, preliminary risk assessment and proven procedures for settling insurance cases.
• Cost optimization: selection of an economically viable route and mode of transport based on a cost/speed/reliability analysis.
• Compliance and correct documentation, which reduces delays at customs and banks.
• Quality control and condition of cargo during transportation is especially important for food groups and sensitive goods.

More details: for each category of cargo, Unitex creates an individual SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) – a short document with a sequence of control points, solutions for deviations and contacts for escalation. This allows you to reduce reaction time and reduce financial losses in case of risk events.

Comparison: freight forwarding company vs direct carriers

• Forwarding company: full service package, risk management, multimodal solutions, document processing, support from the supplier to the recipient’s warehouse.
• Direct carriers: usually cheaper in a specific segment (for example, road freight), but without comprehensive support, customs examination and insurance.

On large regular routes, a direct contract with a carrier can be effective, but for complex import operations and multimodal chains, it is more profitable to work with a forwarder.

Table: examples of routes and types of transportation – forwarding services

Criteria for choosing a forwarding company

• Experience in the desired direction (country of departure and type of cargo) – see cases and reviews.

• Availability of own or proven partners in ports and transit areas.

• Level of insurance coverage and claims settlement policy – check limits and payment terms.

• Transparency of tariffs and additional fees – availability of detailed commercial offers.

• Availability of electronic tracking and reporting of cargo, integration with the client’s ERP/warehouse accounting.

Practical criterion from Unitex: before concluding a contract, the customer receives a checklist of 10 mandatory documents and 5 technical parameters of the cargo for verification by the party. This speeds up the start of the operation and reduces the risk of delays at customs.

Checklist for ordering freight forwarding services

• Prepare commercial invoice, packing list, certificates, phytosanitary documents.
• Identify critical cargo parameters (temperature, fastening, sensitivity, pallet size).
• Clarify contract incoterms and delivery zone (port/terminal/warehouse).
• Discuss insurance coverage, deductible and claims settlement procedure.
• Agree delivery times, allowable deviations and force majeure scenarios.
• Check availability of certificates of origin and conformity for specific goods.

Composition of work when organizing freight forwarding (in detail)

• Contract analysis and recommendations on Incoterms with calculation of relevant risks.

• Booking of places/containers with carriers taking into account seasonality and port load.

• Organization of cargo collection from the supplier, packaging, labeling and quality control before shipment.

• Preparation of a full package of documents for customs and the bank, coordination of electronic submission of declarations.

• Monitoring en route, route adjustment if necessary, emergency redirection in case of risks.

• Organization of unloading, temporary warehousing, internal delivery and preparation of final reports.

• Preparation of calculations based on actual costs, analysis of deviations from the budget and optimization proposals for subsequent shipments.

Additionally, Unitex conducts a preliminary supplier audit for critical cargo: packaging, labeling, compliance with the temperature regime at the point of departure. This reduces the likelihood of complaints upon receipt in Ukraine.

Comparison table: forwarding services vs basic carrier service

FAQ — answers to frequently asked questions about freight forwarding services

• Question: What documents are required to import from China? Answer: Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading (B/L) or air waybill, certificates of conformity/phytosanitary documents if necessary.

• Question: Does Unitex include cargo insurance? Answer: Yes, insurance is available as a standard option or can be added upon agreement with extended coverage, including spoilage coverage for food groups.

• Question: How long does customs clearance in Ukraine take? Answer: Depends on the category of goods and completeness of documents – from a few hours to 3-5 business days in standard cases; complex cases may require additional checks.

• Question: Can I track my cargo online? Answer: Yes, Unitex provides tracking and regular reporting throughout the expedition, including telemetry for reefers.

• Question: How to choose between FCL and LCL for sea containers? Answer: FCL is advantageous for large volumes; LCL is for small consignments, but has risks of overloading and longer collection time. Unitex makes a calculation for a specific consignment.

• Question: What are the features of forwarding cargo with sensitive temperatures? Answer: Cold chain control, certified refrigerators, temperature sensors and a clear action plan for deviations are required; Unitex provides support and insurance with appropriate conditions.

For detailed consultation and preparation of a commercial offer, contact Unitex through the internal help on the website: https://unitex.od.ua/en/directory/. Our specialists will select the optimal route, draw up documents and connect insurance according to the type of cargo, and also provide a detailed commercial calculation.