How Miles Express makes importing your business’s goods more accessible

Posted on Friday, November 5th, 2021 • Blog

In Malta, the majority of goods are imported. This makes freight forwarding logistics imperative for retail-based companies.

Importing your products and goods from international suppliers can be overwhelming and complicated without a logistics partner. But most companies think that finding a logistics company that offers good value for money without forgoing the security and speed of the delivery is near impossible to find.

Until they’re introduced to Miles Express, that is.

Freight Forwarding logistics offered by third party companies take the weight off your business, so you don’t have to work through the complicated logistics of shipping from various locations around the world to Malta. It also makes it easier and relatively painless to extend and expand any shipping network.

At Miles Express, we have the experience, the connections, and the know-how to make sure companies are not getting a sour deal on shipping whilst ensuring that the cargo is on time. In other words, working with us could increase the process’ overall efficiency. Without extensive experience, it’s hard to make the proper and seamless shipping arrangements while also keeping things on schedule. Import logistics are complicated, to say the least. You need to account for tariffs, customs clearance, duties, packaging, and transportation.

This is where Miles Express can be even more valuable to your operations. We’ve been dealing with the various facets of freight forwarding for many years and can offer counsel as well as service. There are many hurdles to handle along the way.

Legal Challenges

Miles Express can help you understand the different legal obligations you have as a company when importing and exporting your products to Malta whilst also managing and processing all the necessary documentation. This also applies to instances of cross trade where goods travel throught different territories without ever reaching the Maltese Islands.

Companies need to pay tariffs, customs, clearance, duties, packaging, and transportation accordingly to what is required for their shipment. Therefore, it is crucial to work with an experienced freight forwarder that can facilitate the process and make sure the correct fees are paid to the right entity to keep the shipment moving swiftly.

Logistical Challenges

Besides the documentation, forms and legal requirements, there is also the logistical side. It’s crucial to tailor the process to find suitable carriage options for each leg of the trip. This is a great advantage when engaging Miles Express which has extensive experience as an independent freight forwarder.

Miles Express offers a complete service. From the collection in the international country of choice, transporting it to Malta or any other destination of your preference, transporting within Malta, warehousing the product, and delivering within the last mile parameters.

There are various carrier options, including air freight, road and ocean/sea for international shipping.

Additionally, one must also consider packaging and crating to protect the goods as they are shipped overseas. At Miles Express, we guide you according to your specific needs. We assist our clients’ every step to manage the import/ export process and communicate with the necessary teams to ensure the shipment arrives on time and in good condition.

Freight forwarding

With many great reasons to work with freight forwarders such as Miles Express, new businesses may question where to begin and how long the process will take.

Here’s a quick guide to freight forwarding:

1. Find a Freight Forwarder & Get A Quote

The first obvious step in the process is selecting a freight forwarder. Pick a freight forwarder with experience, a good level of service, and a team that understands the company goals and budget.

2. Initial Transportation of Goods

The first step is to co-ordinate the pick up the goods from the supplier warehouse.

3. Customs Clearance

Once the goods are in the freight forwarders’ possession, they will ensure they are safe and in order. After this step, the process of customs clearance will commence. Before the cargo departs, it has to be cleared by the country of origin and the destination country to proceed. Our team can handle all of the logistics and forms needed to clear customs to put your mind at ease.

4. Arrival & Handling

When the shipment arrives at the port or terminal of destination, some documents need to be filled in. Documentation, charges, and other holdups will need to be sorted before the goods can be moved. A freight-forwarding partner like Miles Express can expedite this process thanks to extensive experience dealing with such matters.

5. Inland Transportation

The next step is to transport the shipment to its final destination – this can be a warehouse or customer’s address.

6. Warehousing

The final destination could either be your facilities or that of a third party or else the Miles Express warehouse, where we will carefully store your products while you focus on selling them.

7. Last Mile Distribution

Once a sale has been made and a last mile delivery is needed, Miles Express will take the products from the clients’ warehouse or the Miles Express warehouse to the customer’s address.

At Miles Express, we offer a holistic service from initial transportation from an international supplier all the way to the customer’s front door.