WINNING DISCOUNTS
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Volume of business is usually decisive. If you are only offering ferry companies a small number of crossings, buy tickets through a freight forwarder or a ticketing and documentation agency. Harbour Shipping (Contact: 01304 211919) is the main agency in this country but there are others on the Continent which, like Harbour, cover all of Europe.
The biggest discounts are likely to be available where there is spare capacity but shorter routes, where demand is higher, might work out cheaper because of drivers' hours advantages. Shopping around could bring short-term gains, but ferry operators are more likely to reward long-term loyalty. Ferry operators will consider the viability of their rates in specific circumstances so factors such as the value of goods carried and the amount of driving time lost on the ferry will be taken into account.
Ferry rates charged by UK ferry operators to Continental hauliers are said to be lower than those charged to UK hauliers because they are less of a captive market. This could be an additional argument for flagging out.