UFO Membership Benefits

Established in January 2000, our friendly and professional ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified organisation is proud to have a ‘Two Members per Country’ policy (except UAE, USA, and China), making us one of the world's only remaining exclusive freight forwarder networks.

UFO is proud to have representation in 99 countries - see our global coverage.

All UFO Members are bound by the Rules of Membership and must ensure compliance with these rules. Please check our Vacant Countries page to find out if the representation of your country is available.

NEW MEETING HUB

Good communication has been extremely important since the COVID outbreak which is why UFO has invested in a bespoke Meeting Hub where our Members can connect virtually using the platforms that have now become an essential part of daily life including Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, and WhatsApp.

Please watch our short Membership Benefits video or read our FAQ page.

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

Only 2 Members per Country
Invitation to Annual Meeting
Customised Marketing Tools
UFO Smartphone Service
Access to Members Area
Individual Brochure Website
Annual Quality Control Survey
eMagazine
Full-time Administration Support
Inclusion in UFO World Maps
Online Training
Access to secure Mailing List
Payment Monitoring System
Quote System

ANNUAL MEETINGS

All Members are invited to attend our Annual Meetings to exchange leads and develop business. The event is a great opportunity to meet overseas agents that you would never normally visit. Members have access to our online program which allows delegates to set up 20 minute private business meetings prior to their arrival.

“Everybody works for the same end product, generating business for and with other members; exclusive membership makes the bond between members that much closer. Since joining, the network has helped us grow as a business and now forms an integral part of our day-to-day operations.” Menzies Distribution Logistics Ltd, UK

MARKETING TOOLS

UFO provides Brochure Websites, customised for each of our Members and based on a company specific URL. Members may also request a copy of our Marketing Brochure, which will be edited with their company details and emailed in PDF format ready for printing. Our customised World Maps are often used as a sales tool when at meetings, on websites, etc.

Plus! A short well-made video in an easy-to-digest format gives our eyes a rest from reading text and explains why the world watches a billion hours of YouTube videos every day! Customers are more likely to use you when they understand what you do and how it will help them. So … we have created a video for Members to use in their marketing and sales efforts - watch it here.

SMARTPHONE SERVICE

The UFO Head Office acknowledges the tremendous growth in the use of smartphones and tablets. However, connection speeds can often be frustrating.

We want UFO Members to have a great experience with our website, whether on a large PC screen or on their mobile devices. Therefore, we provide a Smartphone Service, where the contact details of fellow UFO partners can be found quickly by searching in alphabetical order by country or company name.

The News Feed feature our latest articles and not only provides excellent promotion but also enables users to keep up-to-date with their overseas partners.

The micro site m.ufofreight.com is for use by UFO Members only and details are provided upon joining.

eMAZAGINE

The UFO Head Office distributes a quarterly eMagazine to all Members. Each issue includes articles on Member’s projects, staff changes, reminders of membership tools, official updates, etc. Combined with the Latest News section of our website, we offer our Members pro-active management and up-to-date information.

INCLUSION IN UFO WORLD MAPS

The UFO Location Map has been designed for Members to take to sales meetings to show their existing and potential customers where their fellow UFO overseas offices are located. The map shows the exceptional global reach of our organisation.

ONLINE TRAINING

One of the main challenges in our industry is the lack of training and staff development, especially with new and young staff members. Practical ‘on the job’ experience needs to be paired with theoretical knowledge, as this leads to a deeper understanding. However, training courses and workshops are often expensive and involve travel and time away from the office.

We are delighted to provide our own eLearning Platform. The first 5 module online training program is "Heavy Transport". Besides the benefits of not having to travel, there are additional advantages to eLearning - such as being able to stop the training at your convenience and start again when ready.

When the training is completed the user will understand the practical, operational and engineering aspects of heavy transport, heavy lift and project cargo. View online brochure.

PAYMENT MONITORING SYSTEM

It is important to encourage healthy cash flow within our network and to prevent late payments. The UFO Head Office consulted both specialist lawyers and insurance companies to investigate the best options in which to financially protect our Members, including bond systems and group liability insurance programs. The outcome is that they can in fact be highly illegal, have complicated tax implications but more importantly, be open to fraud.

Therefore, we provide an Online Payment Monitoring System. Once logged in each Member can add, view and edit details of open invoices. The system automatically sends a fortnightly statement to every Member detailing any open invoices and highlighting their due date. We are proud to say that we have an excellent payment record within our network. Our Members understand that paying on time and operating in a professional manner results in repeat business and excellent relations with their overseas offices. Please click here to watch a short video on the system.

WEEKLY MEET SCHEME

Using our Meeting Hub, a representative from each company is encouraged to hold a virtual meeting with a UFO partner once a week that they have not yet worked with. Similar to the 1-2-1 sessions at our events, it is an excellent opportunity to introduce your company and highlight specialist areas. We find that making time for a quick 1-2-1 video call and ‘seeing’ UFO partners makes all the difference.

You will be much better remembered, even if no business is ready just yet, it might be in a week or a month – it helps to be in the forefront of people’s minds.

HOW TO APPLY

Please complete all questions on our Application Form and supply contact details for 2 trade references. If your application is successful, you will be invoiced a one-off Joining Fee (GBP £200) and the Annual Membership Fee (GBP £250-£990 depending on your location). Upon receipt of your fee, you will receive 1 of only 2 spaces to represent your country with full membership benefits.