1. Shipping Instructions (SI) is a document provided by the customer to the carrier containing the details of the goods to be shipped and the requirements for their actual transportation.
The SI contains the basic information needed to draft a Bill of Lading (B/L), such as:
Booking No. or Bill of Lading No.
Bill of lading party, including shipper, consignee, notifying party
Vessel or Voyage or Both
Place of receipt
port of loading
port of discharge
final destination
container number
seal barcode
mark
cargo description
quantity
Weights and Measurements
Bill of lading type
service agreement
Payment terms (prepay or collect)
Home Bill of Lading (HBL) number and information
2. 4 things to remember when submitting shipping instructions
Here are some further tips and tricks to make submitting shipping instructions smoother:
Your cargo description should always match the item being shipped and shipped. When we are notified, we are obliged to report any unlawful or prohibited descriptions to the appropriate authorities.
You must choose the HS code that correctly describes the goods you are shipping. Choosing an incorrect HS code can lead to trouble for the destination authorities.
Double check that all details shown on the shipping instructions are correct.
The items in your description of the goods should be the same as those stated at the time of booking. Discrepancies may mean a recalculation of your shipping charges, which will cause further documentation delays.
