What a High-End Freight Forwarder Is Like: When a Client Didn’t Pay for Air Freight to UAE
Mr. Shen, a client from Fujian who regularly exports machinery, often ships goods via sea or air freight to UAE. He had been working with us for a long time, but on this last shipment—sent via air freight to UAE—things took an unexpected turn.
Mr. Shen said the shipment was urgent. Even though we hadn’t received the payment, we arranged for the goods to be sent. However, after the shipment was dispatched, the payment was still not made. At first, Mr. Shen said his company was facing financial difficulties. Later, he claimed that his end customer would cover the freight cost.
Our finance department kept pressing me for updates, and the situation became stressful. I contacted Mr. Shen’s customer directly, but they refused to pay, saying it was an issue between us and Mr. Shen.
What followed was a long and difficult effort to recover the payment. It took a full year, but we eventually succeeded in claiming what was owed to us. This incident became quite well-known in the logistics circle in Shenzhen.
This experience taught us that success in the air freight to UAE business doesn’t come easy. Often, small oversights lead to unexpected problems. If goods aren’t delivered on time, clients tend to blame us—whether it was our fault or not.
Many major errors actually start from minor mistakes. That’s why paying close attention to details is the best way to prevent big issues.
We’ve grown by learning from situations like these. Today, our air freight to UAE service follows a strict documentation process. We have clear procedures for every step to avoid basic errors. With nearly 100 employees, each has clearly defined responsibilities. Our departments are well-structured to ensure smooth operations.
The Importance of the Warehouse in Air Freight to UAE
For a freight forwarder specializing in air freight to UAE, the warehouse is a key part of the operation. In the beginning, like 95% of the 60,000 freight forwarders in Shenzhen, we also rented a warehouse. This low-asset model keeps costs down, but it often leads to disorganized management—unauthorized personnel walking in and out, poor record-keeping of goods, and even cases of lost or mixed-up cargo.
When high-end clients came to visit, they wouldn’t say anything on the spot, but we rarely heard back from them after. It was clear our warehouse didn’t meet their standards.
We learned from this and built our own high-spec foreign trade warehouse. It’s a 6-story building where staff must wear safety helmets and uniforms. There are clear routes to follow, and outsiders aren’t allowed to enter freely.
Incoming goods are assigned storage space based on quantity, neatly arranged, and tagged with information labels. Key areas are under CCTV surveillance. If a client has a large enough shipment, they can even request a dedicated camera to monitor their goods in real-time via mobile phone.
Only about 5% of freight forwarders have warehouses of this standard. Many VIP clients choose us specifically because of our warehouse—it’s what sets us apart.
In a Nutshell
When it comes to air freight to UAE, we offer high-end service—from hardware and company management to warehouse quality. We don’t target low-budget clients; we focus on high-end customers who value premium warehouse and service quality. There are very few freight forwarders offering air freight to UAE at this level.