Long Beach and the other communities in Southern California thrive in large part because of the transportation industry.
Because Los Angeles is a major seaport and also a hub for many other types of transportation, many people make their living in the shipping industry.
The area is a great opportunity for third-party logistics companies, transportation brokers and freight forwards to build their businesses into profitable enterprises.
However, running a successful logistics companies also involves understanding and following a web of complicated laws and regulations. If a new or even well-established company does not understand these rules, it can serious impact or even destroy the business.
Logistics companies need solid contracts in order to survive
For example, no matter their business model, a logistics company is going to want to have a well-thought and detailed contract with each of its customers.
The contract will need to set out clear and realistic expectations about important issues like delivery times, cost-splitting and what will happen if the logistics company damages goods in transit or experiences a delay.
Likewise, a good contract will lay out ground rules should there be a dispute between the customer and the logistics company, as these rules can go a long way in saving attorney fees and other costs involved with litigation.
On the other side of the relationship, a logistics company will also want to take great care in drawing airtight contracts with individual shippers and other business partners.
Logistics also requires careful attention to regulatory compliance
Contracts aside, the complexity of state, federal and even international laws and regulations which logistics companies must follow can be downright overwhelming.
Compliance with these transportation laws may require the knowledge of an experience transportation attorney. The attorney can help a business come up with a reasonable plan that both follows the law and promises a favorable rate of return.
