COVID-19 government restrictions & the Future of Freight
As theglobal health community responds aggressively to wave II of COVID-19 with Vaccines, we have also observed players in every sector react to the current challenges with creativity. International logistics is no exception. With a second-wave sweeping and COVID-19 government restrictions tightening, global trade will be affected deeper and longer than we've witnessed in other crises in the past. The level of the disruption will vary by commodity, trade lane, and mode of transport and will be driven by local differences in the COVID's severity. The pandemic's unpredictable nature opens opportunities for logistics and supply-chain companies to enter new markets, create new service offers, and prepare to battle against counterparts.

A detailed understanding of the crisis's impact is vital for companies as they shift from thinking about emergency strategies and resilience to planning for a comeback. Through the granular trade-flow modeling, organizations can understand their market position and risk exposure in the context of trade lanes and commodities. Combining this strategy with macroeconomic scenarios can help develop and test procedures for crisis response andthe next steps after COVID. Analyzing the possible scenarios and deducing shifts in operational and commercial strategies can get firms ready for the next trade era.

The Effects of Covid-19 on Freights
COVID-19 government restrictions are aspiring to slow down the epidemic's spread and impair commercial activities worldwide. Transportation networks, including maritime, rail, air, and trucking industries, have been greatly affected. With a second wave threatening to increase the number of infections worldwide, authorities have imposed drastic restrictions on everyday life. This has caused panic buying, and increased at-home consumption has had versatile impacts on transport volume and freight capacity. Aspiring to slow down the spread of the highly contagious COVID-19, governments worldwide decided to impose several temporary restrictions. The COVID-19 government restrictions in most nations include;
(1) Contact restrictions and the distance rules,
(2) Temporary closure of trade and service companies, as well as the hotel business and leisure facilities,
(3) Travel restrictions within a country and especially for non-essential travel.
(4) The obligation to wear a mouth-and-nose cover when using public transport.

These measures significantly impact the global economy and, consequently, the transportation of goods, passengers, and information. There is no clear timeline when lockdowns and other restrictions will ease completely. Freight companies respond to the coronavirus pandemic's immediate effects by preserving cash, creating safe workspaces, adjusting the workforce's size to meet current demand, and providing transport services.

COVID-19 government restrictions &The Future of Freight Post-pandemic
As we witnessthe global health community's remarkably determined response to COVID-19, we have also observed players in the freight sector react to the current challenges with creativity. Still, nothing is predictable this year. Supply is trickling in from the whole world as medical supplies' demand stays high, but supply chains have been disrupted by logistics challenges and stockpiling. As firms face disruptions in demand, supply chain practices are shifting. In the heat of the Coronavirus, only the products considered essential medical supplies and groceries were moving.

However, with most world country cargo supply still at approximately half what it was, the greater potential for disruption could occur soon. But this isn't the first time the world is facing disruption in supply chains. In 2019, the bane of our existence was roller-coaster tariffs that saw supply chain managers diversify away from the US and other countries. The Coronavirus crisis further complicates that strategy by impacting supply chains everywhere. Has diversification helped? Companies source their products from different nations and problems at the border has negative impacts that may be riskier than we see. Speedy delivery is possible only if inventory is ready within the surrounding a business wants to supply to. Upgrading to within-the-hour delivery will reinforce supply chains making them resistant to changes. Suppose you're only pacing towards on-time manufacturing and only have inventory to meet a week of demand, then the global health crisis may weigh down on you. Though the world economy is downstream due to COVID-19 government restrictions, many logistics providers are still operating.

The digital switch to the next normal has taught logistics firms to get ready more than ever. Data-driven solutions allow timely, practical solutions during crises. This is not just about customers adopting new technologies, but the vendor's ability to offer the best. And while you cannot predict the exact nature of disruptions like this, something must always change how we work. As nations like China make a comeback in the coming weeks, airfreight pricing is likely to increase. Airfreight is unique as the supply of capacity does not track demand for products. Airfreight supply is related to passenger travel, and airlines are not passenger flights have been lagging as wave two takes over. Many airlines predict things will normalize come April 2021. That's also a sign airfreight prices willstay high throughout COVID-19 government restrictions as supply remains limited for the time being. As we face a looming recession, firms and governments looking at growth even very recently no longer believe in their predictions. For many, the future is unpredictable.

Logistic executives can play a more strategic role within companies, especially in emergency preparedness planning. Logistics managers must be trained to think about shipping cargo, containers, physical goods, and pallets because this is where the catch is. Leaders who prove their proficiency in money management will survive and possibly thrive in a pandemic. Flex port customers can continue to build agility into their businesses in fast-changing times by sticking to a robust operational network to encourage data flow, thus more informed decision-making.

How Has the Aviation Sector Been Affected by Covid-19?
The Coronavirus has had a tremendous economic impact on the aviation industry due to COVID-19 government restrictions and a drop in demand among travel industry customers. Significant reductions in passenger numbers have resulted in flights being canceled or planes flying empty between airports. In turn, this has massively reduced revenues for airlines and forced many airlines to lay off employees or declare bankruptcy. Some have attempted to avoid refunding canceled trips to minimize their losses. Airliner manufacturers and airport operators also have laid-off employees. The coronavirus pandemic crisis is the worst ever encountered in the history of the aviation industry.

How Will Airlines Get Flying Again?
We should get back on the air, but there are some common logistical problems. Aircraft need to be ready for flight, and airports made ready to receive passengers. Schedules must be drafted, and staff made available. But there are also less anticipated issues to contend with. No one is sure where aircraft will be allowed to fly or what conditions might be imposed on national authorities staff and passengers. There are many aircraft parked up at airports around the world, representing about two-thirds of the global fleet. Even while parked, these aircraft require regular maintenance. While others must be ready for immediate take-off, many airlines have been carrying out repatriation flights, such as ad-hoc cargo services. According to industry experts, others will take weeks or months to get ready for flight. If all aircraft were needed today, getting them ready would be a big challenge.

Analysts say that this is unlikely to be the case - because most airlines will start by operating relatively limited schedules, and most aircraft won't be required for months to come. A further important issue is the consideration of human qualifications needed to allow the industry to function. Teams must carry staff equipped with fully qualified with up-to-date certificates, especially those involved in handling preparation and cargo flights. The real problem is the number of different countries that have introduced travel regulations, and no one knows when these COVID-19 government restrictions will be lifted. One area causing great uncertainty is how social distancing will workwhen regular flying comeback. How will people maintain social distance in airport lounges, in security queues, or the airports? What tests will be essential, and how will they be carried out?

Public Health Consideration as We Resume International Travels
Many countries have stopped some or all international travel since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic but now have plans to re-open travel. The decision-making process should be inclusive and ensure coordination of the measures implemented by national and international transport authorities and other relevant sectors. The final decision on travel resumption should be aligned with the overall national strategies for adjusting public health and social measures. The gradual lifting of travel measures is based on a thorough risk assessment.

Perquisites for Resuming Global Air Travel
Each country should conduct a risk analysis and decide per its priorities. WHO recommends that priority be given to essential travel for emergencies. Precautions such as emergency medical flights and medical assistance, travel of essential service people, e.g., first responders and doctors, important persons in theair transport sector such as seafarers and diplomatic officers. Cargo transport is a priority for essential medical, food, and energy supplies. Sick travelers and persons at risk, including old travelers and people with infectious diseases or unstable health conditions, should avoid traveling internationally to and from areas with a high risk of transmission. There is no risk when considering the potential importation or exportation of cases in the context of international travel. Thorough risk assessment and control will help identify and mitigate those hazards. The decision process must include analyzing the situation, considering the local context in countries of departure and destination.
1. The following factors should be considered:
2. Local epidemiology and transmission patterns,
3. The state public health measures to mitigate the outbreaks in both departure and destination countries;
4. Public health capacity at the country and local levels to manage the increased infections and confirmed cases among travelers, including at points of entry (, airports, manage the risk of carrying or exportation of the disease; and the evolving knowledge about COVID-19 transmission and its clinical features

Economic Impacts of The Pandemic on Aviation
Airports are important to the economic development of big cities, countries, and regions. Airports contribute to economies by allowing services to airlines, transporting passengers and cargo. The COVID-19 outbreak has had advanced effects on airports. Air travel has gone down heavily, which has made airlines to reduce capacity. Many have been closed by governments to reduce the spread of the virus. The result is a sharp fall in money towards the development of cities, countries, and regions. The broader impact of COVID-19 on the global economy is enormous. The accessibility of the air transport industry has been heavily impacted by the drastic reduction in air travel demand amplified by strict air travel restrictions.

The pandemic's most crucial economic impact is the liquidity and working capital deficits for the industry, which will risk operations not recovering to pre-pandemic levels and affect air transport connectivity in the near term. As air transport is an industry based on the interdependence of all its parts, the COVID-19 crisis devastated all stakeholders—from aircraft manufacturers and travel agents to retailers in airports—and resulted in mass furloughs and layoffs, business shutdowns, bankruptcies, and other instances of economic deprivation.

How to Steer Clear of Freight Forwarding Scams Post-COVID
Working with a reliable Freight Forwarder post-COVID is an essential part of recouping your supply chain. Forwarders must specify the services they offer to customers. The freight forwarder handles the freight movement ensuring relevant information is passed to appropriate parties in good time. Freight forwarders make your supply chain flexible and allow firms to respond quickly with minimal labor requirements regarding logistics.

They should keep you updated about your goods, discuss deals with the carrier to move the items to the pickup area. Keeping customers informed of the whereabouts of shipments is an active way to prevent fraud. Freight forwarding scams can be easily detected when communication hiccups kick in and the forwarder is no longer giving direct answers. Freight scams are common, but we can avoid them by searching carefully and taking some security measures.

What's the Freight-forwarders Role?
Once you know the exact role they are supposed to play, you can never be a victim. A freight forwarder can be a person or a company that organizes and plans your shipment. This includes getting your cargo from the original point to the final destination. Forwarders may not move your cargo physically, but they do process by communicating with all the people and moving all the parts involved. It's a process involving people and parts, making it a little more complicated for an average person or company with limited knowledge. It's advisable to do research on this and seek recommendations from business associates, friends, and family who may have used reliable freight forwarders. Which Mode of Transport?

The various modes of transport include;
1. Road: For a quicker doorstep delivery either locally, regionally, or between multiple countries within a Trade Union, road freight is the most common shipping mode. It's cheaper on short distances.
2. Railway: Excellent for long-distance deliveries where we need to carry large volumes of cargo either locally, regionally within a trade union, or these days, even between continents.
3. Air: It is an expensive but a quicker mode of transport for international or domestic shipping. It is usually preferred for smaller volumes of cargo.
4. Ocean: You can use ocean freight for a cheaper and most eco-friendly transport mode at the international or domestic level. It is the best approach for large volumes of cargo.

1. What are the Trading Terms?
2. Before approaching a forwarding company, research more about it and overview how activities are carried out there. Understand what shipping charges will apply when transporting through various ports. This will protect you from freight forwarding scams that may cost you extra.
3. What are the Standard Shipping Rates?
4. To familiarize yourself well with the shipping charge and costs, get multiple quotes from multiple freight forwarders, and estimate the average amount you will be expected to pay. If prices seem too good to be true, then it is probably a scam. Too low or too high prices are the first sign of fraud.
5. Be wary of phony addresses, websites, emails, and phone calls.
6. Study the validity of your freight forwarding service keenly. You can check their website for their legitimacy while being wary of fake sites.

Also, watch out for fake emails and phone calls asking you to make payments or give out any personal banking details.

Tips to Spot a Legit Forwarding Company
Companies can identify legitimate freight forwarders in many ways. Pay attention to the below points to avoid freight forwarding scams.
1. Go to their Social media pages: Look for links, use Twitter, and other platforms to boost credibility.
2. Check their Contact Info: This section on the website allows visitors can ask any question, leave comments, or find important phone numbers and email addresses.
3. Visit their office: If your freight forwarder is in the same city as you, you can decide to pay a visit to prove their legitimacy.
4. Look for Staff and Company Photos: Many forwarders have Annual General Meetings of their networks. If they were part of it, then they post pictures to prove it.
5. Search a Youtube Video: A YouTube video is an excellent proof of validity, no matter how short it is. It should answer some frequently asked questions that should prove the firm's validity.
6. Photos of people: You can check people's photos on their websites, including managing director and other management teams and board members.
7. Pictures of shipment: Look for pictures showing people working and check for the company logo.
8. Do they have a Brochure: All legitimate freight forwarders have brochures, either on paper or online. 9. Search customer reviews: You can also view customer reviews and other reviews on sites that rank and rate freight services.

Steps to Pick the Right freight Forwarder.
Below are some of the things to look at before choosing a freight forwarding service.
1. Make sure the freight forwarder has experience. This means that your freight forwarder will help you avoid customs, warehousing, and routing problems.
2. Ask about the freight forwarder's network of agents and business partners in the country you are exporting to.
3. Ensure that the freight forwarder offers the services you need for your shipment.
4. Make sure the freight forwarder has good references.
5. Understand the shipping charges involved Lastly, ensure that the freight forwarder has good customer service that won't leave you dark.

The Takeaway
As we witness the global health community's remarkably determined response to COVID-19, we have also observed players in every sector react to the current challenges with creativity. International logistics is no exception. A second-wave of COVID-19 government restrictions will affect global trade deeper and longer than we have seen in other crises in the past. The industry must players must study trends and be creative to survive and thrive amid a crisis.