Shipping to Saudi Arabia: At First, the Customer Asked for a Quote, I Declined, but The...

Shipping to Saudi Arabia: At First, the Customer Asked for a Quote, I Declined, but They Came Back later

One day, a potential customer contacted me online: “Give me a sea freight quote to Jubail Port, Saudi Arabia!” That was all he said, with no other information. When I asked for basic details like, “What's the product? What's its value? What's your delivery deadline?” I got no response.

Sunny Worldwide Logistics has been a freight forwarder China to Saudi Arabia for over 20 years, so we have plenty of experience dealing with these types of customers. Without understanding the cargo or even the company, designing a logistics plan blindly is likely to result in failure. In the early days, we would rush to provide quotes as soon as customers asked, relying only on our assumptions. Most of these deals didn't go through. It wasn't about the price either. Lower prices don't necessarily mean success. Even if we got the deal, problems often arose during the process—timing didn't match expectations, container sizes were wrong, or paperwork didn't match the actual goods. Sometimes, shipments would even be held at customs. In the end, clients would think we were an unprofessional freight forwarder.

Our approach to planning and quoting has evolved step by step, built from experience and lessons learned.

Some time later, that same potential customer probably found out through other sources that Sunny Worldwide Logistics is a professional freight forwarder China to Saudi Arabia. He told me he was in charge of shipping for his company and sent over all the necessary information about their products and requirements. I then created a logistics plan that met his needs.

Just recently, my old classmate, Mr. Cui from Guangzhou, contacted me. He's in the packaging box business and has been focused on the domestic market for years, but this year he started exploring international trade. He's been creating short videos and gradually getting inquiries from overseas customers. This was his first order to Saudi Arabia, but he had no experience in foreign trade. He asked me for a quote to Saudi Arabia. Naturally, Mr. Cui thought of us because he knows Sunny Worldwide Logistics is an experienced freight forwarder China to Saudi Arabia. He provided detailed information about the products, including a beautiful picture of the jewelry box. With this information, I forwarded the details to the right team member and explained that since this was Mr. Cui's first international order, he wasn't familiar with trucking, customs, or clearance processes. We created a door-to-door plan, which was the most suitable solution for him.

In fact, proactively gathering information about the customer's background and cargo details is a key part of what makes us a professional freight forwarder China to Saudi Arabia. This approach is the result of more than 20 years of experience. Just as factories specialize in manufacturing, we specialize in logistics. But to create the right logistics plan, we need to know the details—cargo information, timelines, packaging requirements, etc. Only with that can we design a plan that fits the customer's needs.

We also have extensive experience handling unexpected situations. I still remember an incident from a few years ago when we lost a bill of lading—it's hard to forget something like that. One of our long-term clients from Lufeng, who values our diligent work, had been with us for years. However, in this particular case, the bill of lading was lost while being mailed to the overseas customer. The bill of lading is the key document that proves ownership of the goods. Even though the shipment had arrived at the port, without that document, the client couldn't claim their cargo. This not only caused delays, but there was also a risk that someone else could claim the shipment, which would have been a disaster for everyone involved.

The client was understandably anxious. Normally, in such cases, the shipping company would require a deposit equal to the value of the goods, which would be held for three years. If no one else claimed the cargo within those three years, the deposit would be refunded.

In the end, our general manger, Mr. Liu, stepped in to solve the problem. With over a decade of experience in the logistics industry, he's seen it all. He personally contacted both the Lufeng client and the overseas customer, explained the situation to calm their nerves, and then got in touch with the shipping company. After explaining the whole situation, we were able to sign a guarantee agreement, and the cargo was released without further issues.

Having been in the freight forwarding business for 26 years, we often care more about our clients' needs than they do. If you'd like to learn more, feel free to check out my journal, where I share stories and experiences from our international freight journey and the heartwarming moments we've had with our clients. Reach out anytime if you need assistance!