Basic knowledge for the forwarding sector: FORWARD Belgium offers in-house guidance

Given the tight labour market and the challenges many companies face in finding suitable employees, investing in knowledge and training will be crucial in the coming years.

FORWARD Belgium has developed various best practices aimed at the profession of freight forwarder and customs representative.

In these toolkits, we consider the essential basic knowledge needed to get started and stay in our sector.

We focus on sector-specific recommendations, practical guidelines on how your operational staff can best deal with problems in the logistics chain, tips to increase compliance and limit your risks, use of model templates and standard contracts, etc.

Choose from 3 FORWARD Belgium Toolkits

FORWARD Belgium provides the sector with essential basic knowledge in the form of practical in-house toolkits.
 

1. A toolkit for the forwarding agent (also available via e-learning!)

In this toolkit, we and your employees will consider the current logistical and legal challenges in the relationship with your various logistical partners (shipping companies, terminals, transporters, etc.). We will discuss the most common problems and offer a number of practical recommendations that you can use every day.

We also focus on the importance of the legal capacity of the freight forwarder and the use of the general Belgian forwarding conditions. We go over some basic customs concepts; the points of attention regarding insurance, the increased non-fiscal obligations such as CBAM, EUDR, the FORWARD reporting centre for suspicious shipments, etc.

2. A toolkit for the freight forwarder who outsources its customs activities (internally or externally)

Shippers and logistics service providers who outsource their customs formalities are increasingly considered to be a ‘customs intermediary’ with their own responsibilities. The argument that customs formalities are outsourced to a professional customs representative no longer holds true to avoid all customs-technical responsibilities.

In this Toolkit, a practical expert discusses the necessary basic practical knowledge of customs and the risks associated with it. The way in which the forwarder and customs representative work together is also discussed in detail. Other topics include:

- The process of screening and accepting customers.
- Checks by the freight forwarder on his client's goods flows; value; origin.
- Control system for customs declarations made by customs representatives..
- Training and professional competence.

3. A Toolkit for the shipper: how freight forwarders support the complex chain of their customers.

In this toolkit, we explain to the forwarder's client the role of the forwarder in the logistics chain, what can and cannot be expected of them, what the obligations of the client and the forwarder are, and how the forwarder ensures that the logistics chain runs optimally.

We will consider the current logistical and legal challenges (the relationship with the various logistical partners and the most common problems that arise; the legal capacity of the forwarding agent and what exactly he is responsible for; the general Belgian forwarding conditions; some basic customs concepts; the FORWARD reporting centre for suspicious shipments, etc.).

We will examine these elements from the point of view of the shipper, focussing on the freight forwarder. A better understanding will not only increase the efficiency of the logistical processes, but will also contribute to better customer service and higher customer satisfaction.

Target group Toolkit 1 and 2

- Inside / outside sales  
- Operational staff  
- Financial staff
- Claims / risk department staff 

Target group Toolkit 3

- Supply Chain Managers 
- Operational staff on the customer side

Rates

Member of FORWARD Belgium? Benefit from special rates:

- Toolkits 1 and 2: a fixed rate of € 650 excl. VAT per group (non-members € 950 excl. VAT)
- Toolkit 3: een fixed rate of € 650 excl. VAT (non-members € 950 excl. VAT)

The sessions last approximately 2 hours per Toolkit. Each group can consist of a maximum of 15 people.

Subsidy for companies

For employees working under Joint Industrial Committee 226 (employees in international trade, transport and logistics), you can apply for a subsidy for this training course from the LOGOS training fund. Check the LOGOS website for the regulations. For more information, please contact us via:

- E-mail: subsidies@logosinform.be
- Telephone: 03 221 97 36

The contribution amounts to 20 euros per person per effective training hour.

Want more information or to book FORWARD in-house guidance?

If you would like more information or to book in-house guidance, please contactthe FORWARD Belgium secretariat.