- Too many providers in the mix
- Growing pains with current carriers
- Late freight
- Customs and compliance issues
- Higher spend, lower ROI
Managing international freight isn’t for the faint of heart. Between ever-evolving customs regulations, coordination across time zones, and navigating the uncertainty of border crossings, your import/export operation is likely juggling more than its fair share of moving parts, literally and figuratively.
For many shippers, especially those moving project freight or relying on multiple transportation providers to cover all the bases, things can get even more complex. And when complexity becomes the norm, it’s easy to lose sight of whether your current strategy is actually supporting your business goals.
ATS International, a sister company of Anderson Trucking Service (ATS), helps importers, exporters, and project shippers optimize their international supply chains daily. With decades of experience under our belt, we’ve identified some common signs that a shipper’s import/export supply chain strategy is no longer serving their business’s best interests.
The truth is, many companies outgrow their original import/export strategy without realizing it. What once worked well for your company might now be holding you back.
In this article, we’ll walk through five unmistakable signs it’s time to reassess your approach — and more importantly, what to implement to correct these critical issues.
You’ll learn to spot the symptoms of an outdated or overburdened logistics strategy and discover smarter, more streamlined alternatives that can bring clarity (and cost savings) to your global supply chain. Let’s kick things off with our first warning sign.
Sign #1: You’re Juggling Too Many Vendors
If managing your import/export freight feels like spinning plates (and sometimes dropping them), you’re not alone.
Many shippers — especially those moving complex project cargo or scaling up their international operations — string together a supply chain with two or three logistics providers and hope they’ll simply “work together” to achieve their ends.
In a perfect world, perhaps they would — but the world of transportation is nothing if not unpredictable, and even more so when border-crossings are involved.
When deadlines tighten, regulations shift, or your freight hits a snag somewhere between the port and the job site, that patchwork strategy can fall apart fast.
Let’s take a quick look at the problems that a strung-together freight strategy can present, so you can diagnose issues in your own supply chain.
The Problem With Fragmented Freight
To the untrained eye, working with multiple logistics vendors can seem like an exercise in operational flexibility. But look a little closer, and you may see a much different picture.
A fragmented freight strategy can manifest as:
- Repetitive communication (and miscommunication) between providers and the shipper
- Blurred accountability when something goes wrong
- Disconnected systems and scattered shipment data
- Gaps in visibility resulting in unexpected delays and finger-pointing
Any of these problems can slow down supply chains, blow up timelines, and put strain on shipper-provider relationships.
This is especially true for shippers moving oversized freight or sensitive cargo, as those communication breakdowns can cost more than just time — they can derail entire projects and become major budgetary black holes.
The Solution: Choosing an End-to-End Logistics Provider
The good news is that upgrading your logistics strategy doesn’t always mean doing more — it often means simplifying.
A single, all-in-one logistics partner can bring clarity and control to your shipping process by integrating services under one roof and one accountable point of contact.
So, what does a great end-to-end logistics provider look like? Seek out providers that offer:
- International and domestic transportation management, preferably through a single point of contact
- Freight forwarding
- Customs brokerage
- Project cargo expertise
- Port drayage and transloading services
- Over-the-road trucking solutions
- Heavy haul and heavy lift capabilities
- Real-time shipment tracking
- Warehousing, including outdoor storage, temperature-controlled storage, and climate-controlled storage
- Foreign Trade Zones (FTZs)
- Inventory visibility and management
- Regulatory compliance and documentation support
- Cargo insurance and risk mitigation
This kind of provider is equipped to act as an extension of your team, moving freight with purpose, precision, and full visibility from origin to final delivery.
So, if you’re tired of the blame game between providers when things go off track, that’s a strong sign your logistics strategy needs an upgrade. A unified provider could bring accountability to your shipping process — and peace of mind to your inbox.
Sign #2: You’ve Outgrown Your Carriers’ Capabilities
At one point, your logistics setup worked for you. You had a few reliable contacts, predictable freight volumes, and a process that, while clunky, got the job done.
But now you’re shipping more, expanding into new markets, and requiring more complexity on both a domestic and global scale — and your logistics strategy can’t keep up.
While this is a difficult position to find yourself in, it’s an unfortunately common one. Not all transportation and logistics providers have the capabilities and infrastructure to grow along with their customers.
And if you’re cobbling together a strategy across multiple providers, each handling their own segmented portions of your freight’s journey, it’s even more likely that there will be procedural breakdowns as you grow.
The Hidden Costs of “Making It Work”
When you’re scaling import operations or coordinating more complex freight, the cracks show fast. Here are some symptoms you might be experiencing if there are growing pains in your supply chain:
- Your internal team is stretched thin and constantly troubleshooting
- Freight exceptions (and frustrations) are piling up
- Your transportation partners can’t offer the flexibility or resources you need
Project freight only amplifies these challenges. Whether you're moving oversized equipment to a construction site overseas or orchestrating multi-container deliveries to multiple ports, you need a logistics partner that can flex with your freight, not fumble it.
The Solution: Seeking Scalability
A leveled-up logistics strategy means building for where your business is going, not where it’s been. That means choosing a provider that has demonstrated a proven ability to:
- Handle increased volume without sacrificing service
- Offer multi-modal transportation options to match freight type and timelines
- Coordinate complex freight movements like breakbulk or heavy haul
- Provide end-to-end support for oversized or project freight, including route planning and permit acquisition
- Seamlessly integrate with your internal systems and workflows
These are the tell-tale signs of a provider that can help you grow strategically, not just reactively. Instead of constantly fighting fires, your team can focus on your core business while your freight provider handles the complexity behind the scenes.
The bottom line: If your logistics team is duct-taping solutions together while your freight volume rises, it’s time to upgrade. A smarter, more scalable logistics strategy can make the difference between barely keeping up and confidently moving forward.
Sign #3: Your Freight Keeps Missing the Mark — Literally
Maybe your freight keeps showing up late — or worse, not at all. You’re not just dealing with logistics hiccups; you’re dealing with a strategy that’s failing to keep pace with your business goals.
Whether it’s import delays at the port or rerouted project cargo that throws off an entire site schedule, late freight means lost time, lost trust, and lost revenue. When you’re relying on multiple vendors to coordinate handoffs, track shipments, and solve problems mid-transit, the likelihood of delays multiplies.
The Domino Effect of Disjointed Freight
When your import/export strategy isn’t optimized, delivery issues cascade and compound, creating an unpleasant (and often costly) trickle-down. If you’ve previously dealt with any of the following, you may be an unwitting victim of this domino effect:
- Missed crane appointments or install windows for project freight
- Idle crews and stalled production due to late materials
- Damaged reputation with customers expecting on-time delivery
- Costly reroutes and extra charges from carriers catching up to your schedule
Each missed milestone creates friction in both your supply chain and in your business relationships. But the cause isn’t always poor execution (though that certainly doesn’t help); sometimes, it’s poor coordination.
Delays and rerouting are often the result of poor coordination between multiple logistics providers, incomplete documentation, or reactive problem-solving — or a combination of all of the above.
The Solution: Lean Into Technology
To avoid delays when importing your critical freight, work with a provider that offers integrated services (including customs, permitting, and site scheduling) backed by a robust suite of tech tools to increase alignment and visibility across every part of your shipment’s journey.
It’s not enough to centralize the oversight of your freight under one provider — they need to have the technology to track, report, and analyze every stage of your project’s progress from booking to border crossing to final mile.
These data points can then be extrapolated into actionable insights to increase supply chain efficiency (read: more on-time deliveries, fewer delays) for your business.
Look for providers that have a demonstrated investment in transportation and logistics tools like:
- Automated document validation for customs filings
- Automated status updates via email, text message, or application programming interface (API) integration
- Built-in support for FTZs, bonded warehouses, and temporary imports
- Digital customer portal for centralized coordination, communication, and documentation
- Integration capabilities like:
- API access to embed logistics data into your internal tools
- Electronic data interchange (EDI) support for high-volume data exchanges
- Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software or warehouse management system (WMS) integration for handling inventory and warehousing operations
- Transportation management system (TMS) compatibility
- Milestone alert systems (Departure, customs clearance, delivery, etc.)
- Predictive ETA updates powered by GPS or Internet of Things (IOT) devices
- Real-time shipment tracking across modes and borders
These tools and technologies don't just make life easier for you — they drive better decision-making, reduce manual effort, and build confidence across your shipping operations. If your current providers aren’t offering some version of the above, it might be time to reassess.
By working with a provider who can deliver both the capabilities and technologies you need to be your most efficient, you stand to gain:
- Reduced errors and miscommunications powered by centralized shipping coordination and communication hubs like customer portals
- Minimized delays thanks to optimized routing strategies, tighter carrier relationships, and better milestone visibility
- Proactive (not reactive) delay and reroute mitigation via real-time tracking and built-in exception management
So, if late freight is becoming your new normal, it’s time to stop patching the problem and address the systems behind it.
Better timing starts with better coordination — and that means choosing an integrated carrier that leverages all the optimizations technology can provide.
Sign #4: Customs and Compliance Have Become Minefields
You’re moving freight across borders — possibly oversized or high-value freight — and that means every shipment invites scrutiny.
But if you're spending more time unraveling tariff codes, correcting paperwork, or recovering from denied entries than you are planning your next move, your logistics strategy isn’t doing its job.
Regulatory missteps can drain your time, money, and patience, especially when navigating compliance isn’t your primary job function or strength. Let’s take a look at some of the common pitfalls ATS International has seen as we’ve helped customers navigate the choppy waters of customs.
Common Customs and Compliance Shipping Mistakes
Customs delays and documentation errors don’t just slow down freight — they burn through resources and erode trust. Some common scenarios we see:
- Unexpected duties or fines due to incorrect tariff classifications
- Delayed customs clearance because of missing or incomplete documentation
- Shipment delays or holds at the border due to non-compliance with partner government agency (PGA) requirements
- General confusion around temporary imports, bonded freight and storage, or export licensing, especially for project freight
If you’re constantly reacting to compliance issues like these instead of confidently clearing customs, your logistics strategy isn’t serving your business’s best interests.
These problems can be a result of working with an inexperienced provider, or of having one provider handle international freight forwarding and another handle customs brokerage.
These integral services share some natural overlap when it comes to compliance concerns, so when siloed, communication misfires can happen simply because “We thought the other guy was doing it!”
RELATED: What Documents Are Required for International Shipping in 2025?
The Solution: Don’t Silo Customs-Related Services
In this case, the solution to the problem may lie in shifting to an experienced import/export freight provider that can deliver both freight forwarding and customs brokerage.
By shifting to a provider that can manage both freight forwarding and customs brokerage under one roof, you can close the communication gap and reap benefits like:
- Airtight documentation thanks to customs compliance services
- Access to deep knowledge of country-specific regulations and trade programs
- Expert support with import documentation, export licenses, and PGA filings
- Minimized handoffs and errors thanks to the provider’s all-in-one capabilities
- Proactive issue identification, so red flags are caught before your freight reaches the border
To put it in layman’s terms: If you’re tired of Googling “why was my freight denied entry,” it’s time to find a more proactive provider to protect your freight (and your reputation) on both sides of the border.
Sign #5: You’re Spending More and Getting Less
The final sign you’re due for an import/export cargo strategy refresh? Costs are creeping up, but value isn’t.
You shouldn’t need a spreadsheet, three calculators, and a stress ball to understand your freight costs. But when you're managing multiple providers across various services — freight forwarding, drayage, customs, insurance — the invoices pile up, and so do the question marks.
What exactly are you paying for? And more importantly, what are you getting in return?
The True Cost of Disconnected Logistics
When your import/export freight strategy relies on a network of separate vendors, it can lead to duplicate charges, poor communication, and inefficiencies that drive up costs. Here’s a sampling of the kind of hidden expenses that can add up fast:
- Duplicate charges for overlapping services
- Unplanned accessorial fees or surcharges that weren’t clearly quoted
- Inconsistent rates across lanes or modes
- Missed opportunities for economies of scale through consolidated shipping
- Time drain on your team from constantly reconciling vendor communications and cost disputes
All of this leads to a frustrating reality: You're spending more time managing freight (and more money moving it) without seeing improved outcomes.
The Solution: Opt for an Optimization-Focused Provider
As you’ve gathered by now, centralizing your import/export freight services under one integrated provider is only half of the solution.
To truly level up your strategy, you need to work with a provider that has the processes and technology to support your optimization efforts, including unlocking peak cost-efficiency.
But don’t mistake “optimization-driven” as a synonym for “lowest-cost provider.” Choosing the least spendy carrier can be a fast-track to fraught shipping, especially when moving international freight.
Here’s what you’re actually looking for in an optimization-focused freight provider:
- Consolidated billing, with full transparency on cost components
- Volume-based pricing advantages across a range of services
- Smarter, tech-empowered route planning to avoid wasteful or inefficient moves
- Cost-performance analytics, so you can refine your shipping strategy over time
Instead of slashing costs, center your strategy on maximizing the value of every dollar you spend on freight.
The right carrier will support this by identifying and eliminating waste points, helping to manage exceptions before they become expenses.
Consolidate and Simplify Your Import/Export Supply Chain
Whether you’re juggling too many vendors, stretching beyond your providers’ capabilities, battling late deliveries, wrestling with customs compliance, or watching freight costs climb without added value, the root cause is often the same: a fragmented, outdated logistics approach.
If any of those five signs and symptoms sound a little too familiar, your import/export cargo strategy might be due for a serious tune-up.
The good news is that these issues are solvable. By consolidating services with a well-equipped, optimization-minded provider, you can eliminate inefficiencies, regain control, and set your supply chain up for scalable success. With the right support, you’ll spend less time managing problems and more time building momentum.
Still refining your international shipping strategy? A smart next step is evaluating your port choices. Check out our guide to the 10 Busiest U.S. Ports in 2025 (and How to Choose One) for insights that can help you select the right entry or exit point and avoid congestion, delays, and unnecessary headaches.
