Why is your air freight to middle east always more expensive than what others pay? Simple. You are dealing with a middleman. This industry is complicated. How can you tell the difference between a direct freight forwarder and a middleman? Don’t let the middleman take your money. A friend asked me: I heard that working with a direct forwarder can save a lot of money, but how do I know who is the real operator and who is just a middleman that has resold the service many times?

The business is indeed a bit tricky. If you run into a middleman, not only are the prices too high, but when things get urgent, they drop the ball or blame others. With my 20 years of experience in air freight to middle east, let me teach you a few quick tips to tell them apart.

1. Check the contract company name.

When you sign the contract, look carefully at the company stamp and name on the first party side. Is the company that gave you the quote, the one that signs the contract, issues the bill of lading, and collects the freight invoice, all the same? If the names do not match, or if they hesitate and don’t want to use their own company to sign the contract, chances are high that they are just a middleman.

2. Check their control over core resources.

Ask direct key questions, like: Which airline is handling this air freight to middle east shipment? What is the booking number? Are the pallet positions controlled by you, or are they booked through a peer contract rate? Which customs clearance partner do you use at the destination port? Is the overseas warehouse owned by you or is it a deep partnership? A real direct operator knows all these core details very well and can give you a clear answer and proof right away. A middleman will often be vague, take too long, or say they need to ask their supplier.

I can speak to this. Take our company DL as an example. We buy out 20 pallet positions every week from two major airlines. This means that on flights to the UAE every day, we have fixed pallet positions. Even when the market is full and capacity is tight, our positions are not affected because we already bought them. A middleman just looks for space when needed. When positions are tight, even if they manage to get some, those pallets have been resold several times.

3. Response speed and price transparency for quotes.

Send a more complicated quote request. For example: multiple ports, special goods, urgent delivery time. A direct operator, based on their own channels and resources, can usually give a competitive solution with clear explanations relatively quickly. A middleman either quotes slowly because they need to check with many levels, or the price has too much markup. Ask for details and they start to show weakness.

Remember: the real value of a direct freight forwarder is direct control over the key links in the transport chain. They offer transparent information, clear responsibilities, and reliable service. A middleman makes money from the information gap. The longer the service chain, the bigger the risk. Of course, you don’t have to take my word for it completely. Come visit our company and see our operations for yourself. Then you will feel at ease.