All members of World Cargo Alliance have access to a range of programs from which they can select those that benefit their operations most, and these are discussed in the following. Beyond programs, however, the benefit of belonging to a group like WCA lies in the power of collective identity and the ability to properly present your worldwide agents. Being a member of a worldwide group will communicate to your present and potential customers that you are not alone in the world of transportation, since WCA already has members on every continent and is frequently adding new ones. Shippers want the confidence that your presence in the local market engenders, but they also want to see where you fit into a bigger picture. But perhaps the biggest benefit of membership is the facilitation of communications and trust within the group toward the development of new business.
Every day there are new examples of companies working and growing together.
Then, consider the advantage you would have over the competition in having access to pre-screened forwarders in markets where you typically have not done much business. Add to that the capacity to easily find a partnering agent in a familiar port where in the past you had to rely on a mere handling agent with no particular concern for your shipping client's welfare. WCA is especially dedicated to strengthening its network in developing markets such as Latin America and Africa. The WCA staff are also involved on a daily basis assisting members in locating agents capable of handling their business, whether it be supplying a recommendation from the membership pool or from the wider array of companies that are known through past and present recruitment endeavors and the referral of other members. The value of this resource cannot be overstated when it comes to a company's need to find a reliable agent in a market where they have no prior experience and there is no WCA member to count on.