Now that the holiday season is over, RFP season is kicking off for shippers. During the first quarter, consignees and suppliers request proposals from freight forwarders for shipping quotes for the coming year.

If you're requesting RFPs from forwarders, there are a few things you should keep in mind. When comparing proposals, price isn’t the only thing that you should consider. Beyond standard freight services, consider the forwarder’s technology platform, and how much visibility you’ll have into your shipments.

At minimum, you’ll want basic visibility into where your shipments are located. Even better, though, is having access to additional data so that you have a complete picture of what’s happening with your shipments (including status updates, information about holds, and estimates of upcoming milestones).

Visibility is just one thing to consider when comparing RFPs from freight forwarders. See this post from Flexport about the three things every shipper should ask in a freight forwarder RFP, or download the RFP template to better prepare for your 2020. 

Knowing that shippers are looking at more than price, freight forwarders should highlight the services they provide that add additional value. Access to premium services or innovative freight products will make an RFP stand out.

If you’re looking for more visibility into all of your ocean cargo, regardless of which freight forwarder you use, a third-party platform like Crux Systems will allow you and your team to see exactly what’s happening with your shipments, whether you’re using your online dashboard to coordinate your shipments, or using our APIs.