Not every shipment requires a shipping forwarder. If you’re sending a single parcel locally, booking directly with a courier may be sufficient. However, as shipping requirements become more complex—such as international deliveries, multiple destinations, or growing order volumes—a shipping forwarder can help coordinate the transportation process more efficiently.
The challenge is knowing when a shipping forwarder is actually necessary. Choosing the right shipping solution depends on factors such as shipment size, destination, delivery speed, customs requirements, and business operations.
In this guide, we’ll explore seven common shipping scenarios where businesses often consider using a shipping forwarder. We’ll also explain when a shipping platform like EasyParcel may be a more practical solution for parcel shipping.
Table of Contents
What Is a Shipping Forwarder?
A shipping forwarder is a company that arranges the transportation of goods between the sender and the destination. Rather than operating its own transportation network, a shipping forwarder coordinates shipments by working with carriers, logistics providers, customs brokers, and other supply chain partners.
Depending on the shipment, a shipping forwarder may organise transportation by road, air, sea, or a combination of different transport methods.
While shipping forwarders are commonly used for commercial cargo and international freight, they may not always be necessary for smaller parcel shipments.
7 Common Shipping Scenarios Where You May Need a Shipping Forwarder
1. You're Importing Products from Overseas
Businesses sourcing products from international suppliers often need assistance coordinating transportation, customs documentation, and import procedures.
A shipping forwarder can help organise these processes, particularly when shipments involve multiple transport stages.
2. You're Exporting to Multiple Countries
Expanding into overseas markets means dealing with different customs regulations, shipping routes, and delivery requirements.
A shipping forwarder can help coordinate international transportation and ensure shipments follow the necessary export procedures.
3. You're Shipping Large or Heavy Cargo
Oversized equipment, pallets, machinery, and commercial cargo usually require specialised transportation arrangements.
These shipments often involve freight services rather than standard parcel delivery.
4. Your Business Ships High Volumes Every Day
As order volumes increase, managing multiple shipments manually becomes more time-consuming.
Businesses handling frequent shipments may benefit from solutions that streamline shipping management and improve operational efficiency.
5. Your Shipments Require Customs Documentation
6. You Need Flexible Shipping Options
Different shipments often have different priorities.
For example:
- Express delivery for urgent orders.
- Economy shipping for cost-sensitive customers.
- Different courier services for different destinations.
Having access to multiple shipping options provides greater flexibility.
7. You Want Better Shipment Visibility
Customers increasingly expect shipment tracking throughout the delivery journey.
Businesses also benefit from being able to monitor deliveries and respond quickly if delays occur.
Do You Always Need a Shipping Forwarder?
Not necessarily.
If your business mainly ships parcels domestically or internationally, you may not require a traditional shipping forwarder for every shipment.
Instead, many businesses choose to use a shipping platform that lets them compare courier services, book shipments online, and manage deliveries from one place.
This approach provides greater flexibility while reducing the need to manage multiple courier accounts individually.
How EasyParcel Simplifies Parcel Shipping
Although EasyParcel is not a shipping forwarder, it helps simplify the shipping process for businesses by providing access to multiple courier services through a single platform.
Whether you’re sending domestic parcels or international shipments, EasyParcel makes it easier to compare shipping options, automate bookings, and manage deliveries efficiently.
Smart Address
Paste your customer's complete address—including their name, phone number, email address, postcode, state, and country—and Smart Address automatically fills in the respective shipping fields, reducing manual data entry.
Smart HS Code
Simply enter your product name, and Smart HS Code automatically suggests a suitable HS Code to help prepare customs declarations more efficiently.
Duties & Taxes Calculator
Estimate import duties and taxes before shipping internationally, allowing you to better understand potential customs charges.
Ready to Simplify Your Shipping?
Whether you’re shipping locally or internationally, EasyParcel makes it easy to compare courier services, book shipments online, and manage every delivery from one convenient platform.
Booking a Shipment with EasyParcel
Step 1: Login your EasyParcel account.
Step 2: Under “Send Parcel”, choose either “Domestic Delivery“ (for shipments within Singapore) or “International Delivery“ (for shipments overseas).
Step 3: Enter Shipment Details.
Domestic Delivery
1. Fill in the origin and destination postcode.
2. Provide the parcel weight.
3. (Optional) Add parcel dimensions for a more accurate shipping rate.
4. Click the “Quote” button.
5. A list of courier rates will appear below, as shown in the image.
6. Choose your preferred SingPost service and click “Book Now.”
7. Fill in all details included Sender Details, Receiver Details, Parcel Details and Add-On Services.
Sender and Receiver Details:
Parcel Details:
Enter the actual weight, dimension and content of your parcel.
Parcel Content:
Fill in your item name, price per item, and quantity.
Add-On Services:
i. Tick the box to add EasyCover for additional protection against loss.
Note: EasyCover availability depends on the courier selected. Learn more about EasyCover.
ii. Choose your preferred notification channel – SMS, Email, or WhatsApp. Click “Preview” to see how it looks, and click “Customise” to add brand message to the notification.
Note: Learn more about Customise Branding Servcies.
iii. Tick the “Mask Sender Details” checkbox. EasyParcel Next Gen will automatically hide your sender information based on your saved privacy settings.
Note: Mask Sender Details only available for certain couriers. Find out what courier is available for Mask Sender Details.
iv. Tick the “Custom AWB” checkbox. EasyParcel Next Gen will apply your saved AWB template automatically.
Note: Custom AWB is only available for certain couriers. Find out which couriers support Custom AWB.
8. Double check all details and click on “Checkout”.
International Delivery
1. Fill in the origin postcode.
2. Enter the destination country and postcode.
3. Provide the parcel weight.
4. (Optional) Add parcel dimensions for a more accurate shipping rate.
5. Click the “Quote” button.
6. A list of courier rates will appear below, as shown in the image.
7. Choose your preferred SingPost service and click “Book Now.”
8. Fill in all details included Sender Details, Receiver Details, Parcel Details and Add-On Services.
Sender and Receiver Details:
Parcel Details:
Enter the actual weight, dimension and content of your parcel.
Parcel Content:
Fill in your item name. Then, choose your item category from the dropdown menu. The HS code will be auto generated based on your selection.
Note: Learn more about Smart HS Code.
Add-On Services:
i. Select your preferred duties payment option – Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) or Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU).
Note: Learn more about DDP and DDU.
ii. Tick the box to add EasyCover for additional protection against loss.
Note: EasyCover availability depends on the courier selected. Learn more about EasyCover.
iii. Choose your preferred notification channel – SMS, Email, or WhatsApp. Click “Preview” to see how it looks, and click “Customise” to add brand message to the notification.
Note: Learn more about Customise Branding Servcies.
iv. Tick the “Mask Sender Details” checkbox. EasyParcel Next Gen will automatically hide your sender information based on your saved privacy settings.
Note: Mask Sender Details only available for certain couriers. Find out what courier is available for Mask Sender Details.
v. Tick the “Custom AWB” checkbox. EasyParcel Next Gen will apply your saved AWB template automatically.
Note: Custom AWB is only available for certain couriers. Find out which couriers support Custom AWB.
9. Double check all details and click on “Checkout”.
Step 4: Double check all the details and click on “Pay Now” to make payment.
Step 5: Your shipment has been booked successfully.
To download and print AWB, you can go to “Manage Shipments”.
Single AWB
- Click the three dots icon next to the shipment.
- Select “Print AWB” from the dropdown menu.
- A PDF file will automatically download and save.
Bulk AWB
For bulk downloads AWB:
- Tick the “Selected” checkbox to choose all your orders.
- A menu will appear at the bottom of the screen.
- Click “AWB” to download all AWBs in bulk.
Why Businesses Choose EasyParcel
Many businesses today prefer using a shipping platform because it provides greater flexibility than relying on a single courier or arranging every shipment separately.
With EasyParcel, you can:
- Compare multiple courier services in one place.
- Book domestic and international shipments online.
- Simplify customs preparation.
- Track every shipment.
- Manage all shipments through one dashboard.
- Access competitive member shipping rates.
This allows businesses to spend less time managing shipping and more time focusing on growth.
Conclusion
A shipping forwarder can be valuable when you’re handling international cargo, coordinating complex transportation, or managing large commercial shipments. However, not every shipment requires a traditional shipping forwarder.
For businesses that regularly send parcels locally or internationally, using a shipping platform can often provide a more flexible and efficient solution. EasyParcel helps simplify shipping by allowing you to compare courier services, automate bookings, prepare customs information, and manage every shipment from a single dashboard.
Whether you’re shipping one parcel or hundreds each month, choosing the right shipping solution starts with understanding your business needs—and using the right tools to make every delivery easier.
