Regardless of how one feels about offshore outsourcing of jobs and manufacturing, the fact remains that many American companies are producing goods in foreign countries or are purchasing goods made in foreign-owned factories and transporting them to the United States. The physical distance between the manufacturer and the retailer of goods is often considerable. In order to move product transcontinental (often from Asia), the goods are generally shipped via ocean-going vessel in larger intermodal freight containers. They can also be shipped via international air freight.

These internationally shipped goods are not the type of product which is then immediately transported to a retail store from the ship. More likely, the goods are moved to a warehouse and stored until they are needed for order fulfillment. The next step in the shipping process, shipment to the ultimate destination, may come in days, weeks or months. At that time, an entirely new shipping process begins.

Supply chain management – especially in international shipping situations – can be complicated enough. It is infinitely easier if the entire process from port of departure to arrival to warehouse to final shipment can be handled in one place, with one invoice and one account representative. For international shippers shipping into Los Angeles, Long Beach and LAX, that supply chain streamlining can be achieved with Freightquote.com.

For the last 10 years, Freightquote has pioneered and refined online freight management. Freightquote’s instantaneous online quoting was the first and best of its kind. Over the years, Freightquote has established excellent working relationships with thousands of carriers of every type. Domestic and international shipments of any nature can be efficiently and economically booked through Freightquote.

The company recently began offering warehouse storage services in the Los Angeles area in addition to its traditional freight brokering services. Warehouses are available near the major international shipping ports at Los Angeles, Long Beach and LAX. They offer affordable in/out fees and low monthly rates for secure, temperature controlled warehouse space.

What all of this means to the international shipper is streamlined service.  Instead of scheduling and paying the ocean-going carrier, the warehouse and the over-the-road and/or rail carrier in order to get the product from manufacturer to consumer, a shipper can accomplish and manage everything via Freightquote.com. They can be assured that they will get the best pricing from the most reputable carriers, secure warehousing and simple-to-use online management tools. And after delivery, the shipper will receive and pay one consolidated invoice instead of trying to match up a stack of invoices from all participants in the supply chain.