Course overview
Freight forwarders sit between shippers, carriers, customs authorities, warehouses, insurers and consignees. Small errors in Incoterms selection, cargo descriptions, routing, documentation or customs declarations can cause demurrage, cargo holds, denied claims, missed production dates and unplanned freight cost. Logistics managers also need to compare transport options without treating the lowest freight rate as the lowest landed cost. This course addresses the operational and commercial decisions that determine whether international shipments move legally, predictably and profitably.
Participants learn how freight forwarding services are structured, quoted, contracted, documented and controlled across air, ocean, road, rail and multimodal transport. They apply Incoterms 2020, cargo classification, routing analysis, landed-cost calculation, carrier selection, customs-document preparation and shipment milestone management. The course examines consolidation, dangerous goods, cargo insurance, claims handling, warehouse interfaces, transport procurement and freight performance reporting. Participants also assess supply-chain disruption risks, sanctions exposure and emissions reporting requirements relevant to cross-border freight movements.
Instruction combines short technical briefings with realistic shipment cases from manufacturing, retail, humanitarian operations, energy projects and financial-services procurement. Participants work with shipping instructions, bills of lading, air waybills, commercial invoices, packing lists, freight quotations, customs data and carrier scorecards. They progressively build a freight-forwarding operating pack for a selected trade lane, then complete a capstone shipment plan covering routing, cost, documents, controls and performance measures. Each participant receives a certificate of completion after attending the instructor-led 10-day programme.
The course suits professionals who already work with transport, imports, exports, purchasing, warehousing or supplier delivery and need stronger control of freight-forwarding decisions.



