Freight forwarders do a lot of things. For example, if a freight shipment arrived at the main transportation hub in Denver, but that carrier was unable to deliver that night or was unable to deliver it to a job site, a freight forwarder could pick it up and take it the last mile.
A Cartage agent will also use all of their own paperwork. As the actual carrier, they will create the paperwork and track all shipments themselves. They will then deliver the shipment.
Good agents will be well versed in the trucking laws and regulations in your area. They will also meet the customs agents and work closely with them. They can even act as your own customs broker for import and export.
In the world of small packages, it is interesting to note that America’s three big competitors use each other very frequently. If you are sending a document overnight and choose to use the United States Postal Service, your package will actually be shipped on a FedEx plane.
Agents work together like the big three package carriers. They all operate in their specific areas and use each other when necessary to deliver. All freight carriers rely on other carriers from time to time to expand their own coverage area.
The USPS reaches every address in the US every day and has the largest fleet of alternative fuel vehicles. Conversely, USPS transports packages for both UPS and FedEx to areas where UPS and FedEx do not reach. So FedEx and UPS are two of the biggest customers for postal services. And USPS is one of FedEx’s top customers.
YRC defines a Cartage agent as “a carrier that performs pickup or delivery in areas where YRC does not serve.” Many carriers can perform this service if necessary.
If you need to use a freight forwarder, you will need to call our office instead of using our online freight quote system. Some logistics companies have partnerships with Cartage agents in all major US cities.
