Authors: Vismaya VS, Dr.P.Vinodhini
Abstract: Freight forwarding plays a vital role in facilitating the movement of goods through transportation, documentation, customs clearance, cargo handling, shipment tracking, and delivery. The present study analyses freight forwarding operations with particular emphasis on operational practices, transportation preferences, customs clearance, documentation, digital technologies, and service satisfaction. The study adopts a descriptive research design based on both primary and secondary data. Primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire, and 72 valid responses were considered for analysis. Percentage analysis was used to present descriptive findings, while the Chi-square test and One-Way ANOVA were employed for hypothesis testing. The findings indicate that 66.67% of respondents prefer sea transportation, while 80.56% prefer Full Container Load (FCL) shipments and 72.22% are engaged in both import and export activities. Furthermore, 87.50% of respondents were satisfied or highly satisfied with the customs clearance process, while 76.39% agreed or strongly agreed that online documentation facilitates error detection and shipment tracking. The statistical analysis revealed significant associations between the nature of business and terms and conditions, the nature of business and online documentation, and exporting time and terms and conditions. The study emphasizes the importance of digital documentation, real-time shipment tracking, employee training, effective coordination, and contingency planning for improving the efficiency and reliability of freight forwarding operations.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21886610
