- Workplace Type: On-site
Shipping by Ground
Connecting North America by ground
In the decades that followed early founder Horace W. Robinson’s initial foray into moving goods across the border, we observed the growing need for companies to have a coordinated, collaborative approach to shipping.
Like Cole International itself, our freight services have evolved at the speed of the industry. When the Interstate Highway System was passed into law and trucks could haul more freight—and faster—we were quick to build out our freight services in response.
We didn’t stop there. Within that same time period, we set up offices in key locations, including along the border, as well as acquired companies that would build on our core services: customs brokerage and freight forwarding.
Relationships are at the heart of what we do, and although our departments are distinct, we always work as a team. This means clear, transparent communication between departments is among our superpowers.
With an extensive network of carriers and agents across the continent, we provide reliable and cost-effective cross-border service to Canada, the United States and Mexico.
Your shipping needs,
all under one roof
Partnering with Cole International means being part of a team working towards your company’s goals.
Moving your goods involves coordination and collaboration between multiple parties in order to achieve success. Our ability to handle your transportation plus customs clearance and compliance means you don’t have to manage communication between multiple service providers. Details won’t fall through the cracks, delays will be avoided and your goods will stay moving, seamlessly.
The more you educate yourself on your role and responsibilities as an importer, the more you help us help you get your goods where they need to go.
Getting organized
For any shipment—ground, air, ocean—being prepared is essential. Having the following information means you and our teams can hit the ground running (pun intended) on your shipment:
- What are you trying to achieve with this shipment? What’s the bigger picture?
- Timelines and expectations
- Shipment particulars (length, width, height and weight of package)
- Detailed commodity descriptions. These are often overlooked! There’s no such thing as too much information.
- Specified pick-up origin/destination
- Preferred mode (or modes) of transportation (if known)
- Special requirements and considerations
- Insurance considerations
- Incoterms selected or considered
Your success is our success
Working with Cole International for your transportation simplifies your shipping operations and avoids complexity, by nature of our collaborative and coordinated approach.
We ensure the lines of communication stay open and transparent throughout the entire process. Within this, we keep an eye on the shipment details and ensure you have the right partners each step of the way.
Start the process right
Here are a few key things you can do to ensure your transportation process runs smoothly:
- Give a heads-up to your provider as early as possible when planning a shipment
- Prepare a list of all contacts involved in the shipment (including contact information)
- Provide the exact shipment information (shipping length, width, height, weight, total number of pieces, commodity information, etc.)
- Determine your budget. Price can and will play a part in your decision-making process, as it will help determine the modes recommended.
- Pack your goods properly
- Communicate clearly and often with your shipper/consignee/end user and forwarder
- Maintain well-kept, organized documents for the shipment
- Refrain from adding extra items to packages for international moves (e.g. batteries, etc.)
- Always allow enough time in your plan for unforeseen delays
Freight forwarding you can rely on
Moving goods is already a complex and detail-filled task. Moving goods using multiple service providers only adds to the chaos. By partnering with Cole International, your goods are moved and customs cleared seamlessly with the help of two clear points of contact – freight and customs – working together under the same roof.
Partnering with Cole helps you:
- Stay in the loop - Our detail-minded team communicates the proper information and adheres to your timelines to keep you on time and budget.
- Save your company money - Our ability to clearly identify your shipping requirements, present service options and set realistic pricing expectations (cheapest isn’t always best!) saves you money in the long run.
- Move your goods on time - We communicate timeline expectations, working with carriers to ensure critical milestones are met.
- Clearly identify requirements - Avoid confusion and gain clarity by leveraging the accumulated knowledge and experience that comes from our long history of moving goods.
- Avoid delays at Customs - Working together with our customs brokers under one roof means having transparency at the border and necessary paperwork in place to keep your shipments moving.
