Firstly, let’s recap what a freight forwarder is. A freight forwarder handles cargo on behalf of importers and exporters. A freight forwarder arranges transportation on behalf of companies, via sea, air or road freight.
Freight forwarders work directly with companies that are importing or exporting. They act as the intermediary between these “shippers” and the providers of the transport (shipping lines, airlines, hauliers etc). Companies like Mercator handle international transportation by sea freight, air freight and road freight. A freight forwarder may also have the ability to handle customs clearances in their own country (like Mercator handles UK customs clearances).
A freight forwarder is like an outsourced department working in conjunction with your business to handle your import and export shipping for you.
If you are looking for a new freight forwarder to help with your shipping, whether it is UK exports or UK imports, then get in touch with our team who will be glad to help you with a quote. Our team can be reached by calling (+44) 02392 756 575, emailing sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk or completing the form below and someone will be in touch.
The MarcoPoloLine conference in Toronto, Canada was a successful event for UK based freight forwarder, Mercator. As founding members of the freight forwarding network, we have been in attendance for all 14 conferences since 2008, and this was the biggest event yet with over 200 attendees from across the globe.
Mark represented Mercator this year and conducted meetings with members from across the globe including South Korea, USA, New Zealand, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Poland, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Canada and Chile.
These events offer a great opportunity to meet the people that we deal with regularly in business, sometimes on a daily basis. It allows our team to form bonds with freight forwarders from all over the world, making our contacts more like work colleagues and friends.
Mercator’s relationships with other freight forwarders around the world allows us to offer our customers more comprehensive shipping services, whether it is a requirement for an EXW shipment for import into the UK, or a DAP export shipment out of the UK. Our connections benefit our customers, allowing just one point of contact here in the UK and a seamless service no matter where in the world your cargo is.
You can contact our team on (+44) 02392 756 575, email sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk or complete the form below and someone will be in touch.
Have you had problems with your shipments recently that your freight forwarder has not attempted to resolve for you?
When you call your freight forwarder do you always speak to a different person, and therefore lack continuity?
Are you unhappy with the service that your freight forwarder provides?
Does your freight forwarder not have the specialist knowledge needed to handle your shipments?
If the answer to any of the above questions is ‘yes’, then it is time you looked to change your freight forwarder. Having a freight forwarder that does not fit or understand your business can be very costly to you and your company.
Mercator Cargo is an independent freight forwarder based in the UK and has been running for over twenty years under the same managing family.
At Mercator we pride ourselves on excellent customer service. If (and we mean IF) there was a problem with your shipment, we would endeavour to sort it for you, it is after all our job. Remember we are working for you.
When you choose Mercator as your new freight forwarder you will be appointed a personal contact here in the office. This experienced member of our team will handle all your shipments and be in contact with you personally about the movements of your goods.
Mercator is a founding partner of a global network of freight forwarders. Our membership in this network means we have personal contacts in over 90 countries worldwide. We regularly attend the network conferences which means we have built excellent working relationships with other forwarders globally. This will benefit you as a customer because we can offer ‘to door’ shipments in almost every country and we have valuable local knowledge where ever your cargo goes.
Our freight forwarding team is long-standing and the majority are part of the managing family. This is huge strength because it means our best interests for you as the customer are at the heart of what we do. Each member of our team cares for the company and our customers.
Now that you know you’re looking for a new freight forwarder, why not give Mercator a call now to discuss what we can do for you and your business – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
Marco Polo Line (MPL), a global network of independent freight forwarders held its annual conference last week in Cape Town, South Africa. Mercator Cargo is a founding partner of the network, and this year our representatives were Paul (our MD).
There were just over ninety freight forwarders from across the world in attendance this year. The annual conferences allow Mercator the opportunity to network with other freight forwarders that we work with on a regular basis. This has great advantages to our service offerings globally, for example, if there were a problem at your cargo’s destination, we could call on our local freight forwarder there to resolve the issue. Having contacts in most countries also means we have access to valuable local information, for example customs and document requirements.
We believe that being part of the global network MPL enhances our service we offer to our customers. As an independent freight forwarder, we pride ourselves on providing a personal service to our clients no matter how large or small.
If you’re looking for an experienced freight forwarder to handle your shipments, whether they are imports or exports, then give us a call to discuss your requirements – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
Mercator Cargo is an independent freight forwarder based in the UK. We’ve been running for over twenty years and have offered air freight services since forming in 1991.
This year, Mercator Cargo has become a member of the international freight forwarder association IATA (International Air Transport Association). This means that Mercator‘s freight forwarding team can deal with the airlines for air freight services direct. This allows our air freight services to be more competitive, flexible and have a greater coverage of the globe.
We can now provide air freight services to more countries, at better rates and more frequently than before. We cover both air freight imports and exports thanks to our founding membership of the international freight forwarder network MarcoPolo Line (MPL).
If you are looking for a freight forwarder that offers air freight services internationally, then give one of our freight forwarders a call today to discuss your air freight shipment and provide a quote – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
Mercator Cargo celebrates its 22nd birthday this week. Paul (our MD) set up the international freight forwarding provider in 1991 after fifteen years already in service in the international forwarding industry.
In 1991 Mercator was based in London and has since grown to a core team of five experienced freight forwarders plus admin staff. The majority of the international freight forwarding team are family with personal interest in the businesses performance and customer care. This is a great strength, as it makes our core ethos to ensure that the customer is happy. We pride ourselves on excellent, personal service in the international freight forwarding industry.
Mercator has now been based in Portsmouth for 15 years with the wealth of international freight forwarding business support and experienced shipping personnel in the area. Two of our experienced international freight forwarders are local to Portsmouth with previous years’ experience in shipping and logistics.
The international freight forwarding industry has changed over the past twenty years when faxes and telephones were the main communication tools, now Skype and emails. Business advertising was in the international freight forwarding magazines, now it is online and website promotion.
Although Mercator has kept up with the times in many ways, we pride ourselves to be old fashioned in core business values – that is our main aims are customer care and satisfaction, we listen to what our customers’ needs are and provide a service to fit that. Each of our freight forwarders in the office have a personal client list that they take care of, so if you were to choose us as your international freight forwarder, you would always be dealing with the same shipping expert.
If you are looking for an international freight forwarder provider for air, sea or road freight worldwide, then get in contact for a discussion of your requirements and a quotation – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
If you are searching for a freight forwarder to ship your goods to New York, then look no further. Mercator Cargo is a well-established freight forwarder that has been in operation for over 20 years. We have a small, but expert team to help you ship your goods to New York, USA. We regularly ship customers’ goods to New York from the UK, so are well placed to handle your shipment.
There are a few options when it comes to shipping to New York from the UK. The first decision to make is whether your goods should transit via sea or air. The most obvious difference is, of course, the time scales. For example a typical shipment time from UK to New York is around 7 to 10 days from Southampton or Felixstowe Docks. Whereas an air shipment to New York from the UK takes a matter of hours.
If your load to be shipped to New York is particularly big (i.e. 20 foot or 40 foot container), and not very urgent, then you might consider a shipment via sea freight (as this generally will be a better priced option compared to air freight depending on cargo size). However, if you have an urgent shipment, or a particularly small shipment (i.e. a light pallet), then air freight might be more favourable.
Once your goods arrive in New York, they will need to be cleared through customs, this is a service we can also offer, in partnership with our agents based in New York. We can then arrange for your shipment to be delivered to its final destination in the USA.
If you have some goods to be shipped from the UK to New York contact us today to discuss your requirements and obtain a quotation – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
If you’re a UK based manufacturer, you may have recently seen an increase in the demand for your goods overseas. Perhaps you haven’t exported your goods before, or have only done it a few times. It will seem like a daunting task, but that’s why it is a good idea to appoint a Freight Forwarder to handle your export shipment for you.
Mercator Cargo is a UK based Freight Forwarder, we have been running for over 20 years, and are still managed and run by the same family. We are a small team of experts in international shipping. Our dedicated export department can assist you in exporting your goods to almost anywhere in the world.
The Government has been saying for some time that international trade (particularly exports) will help the UK economy grow. Now is the perfect time to take that first step into the international trade arena and start exporting your UK manufactured goods. International trade can massively boost a small to medium sized company.
The UK has had a few exposed years in terms of media coverage, what with the London 2012 Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the Royal Wedding and so on. As such, there is a greater demand in the world marketplace for UK branded goods.
According to the Office of National Statistics, the export market for the UK for the second quarter of 2013 has been the highest on record (at £78.4bn). If you think your company would like a slice of this huge potential, then perhaps it is time to seriously consider exporting your goods worldwide.
If you are in the stage of arranging some international sales, then it is always a good idea to also tempt your buyers by offering freight included (this can be seen as favourable as it would reduce their workload). We can offer a range of services, from just freight, to a full door to door service.
Give one of our sales team a call today to get a quote for your shipment – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
10, St George’s Business Centre,
St Georges Square,
Portsmouth, PO1 3EZ, UK
Mercator is a family-run, UK based independent freight forwarder, offering highly effective sea, road and air freight services around the world.
