Category: <span>China Freight News</span>

A lot of people want to get into the freight brokerage industry because Freight broker professionals are in high demand, no matter the state of the economy. If you`ve attended the best freight broker agent schools, surely you will succeed. Plenty of freight broker agent schools are offered out there, but the secret to success is to choose the perfect one.

Carefully choose and attend the freight broker school that’s right for you. Tj chinafreight can assist you to find the best freight broker training resource. We compiled a 50 lists of the top freight broker training schools that will make you an expert within one month.

1 The Certified Transportation Broker course by the Transportation Intermediaries Association

The Certified Transportation Broker course by the Transportation Intermediaries Association is one of the best freight broker programs. The TIA is one of the top training schools that are almost guaranteed to produce impressive and clever freight brokerage professionals. For many years, this association overlooks the trucking industry. The Certified Transportation Broker (CTB) Program was founded to meet the scholastic requirements of freight brokers, grow the truthfulness and expertise of property brokerage, and grow basic responsiveness of the transportation and brokerage industry through a demanding certification program.

2  ShippersCarriersCom LLC  

ShippersCarriers.com can help you become a certified freight agent broker. They offer In-Office Training Course, Home Study Course or Internet Training Course. Students can choose what`s the best for them, training at the business’ headquarters in Georgia, using sample paperwork to train at home, or undertaking online training. Individual fees for these courses are surely affordable. They have staff who`s helpful and friendly. They can provide all the information and materials you need to become a successful freight agent or freight broker.

3 Freight Movers School, LLC  

Among all types of freight agent broker training courses, Freight Movers School, LLC is definitely one of the freight broker agent schools that have something for everyone to offer. This school is not only popular for producing shippers and carriers, but it is also known for giving effective training to brokers and agents. When compared to some other freight broker agent schools Freight Movers School, LLC is very reasonable. The course is priced at $450.00. At the pace of their own, students can take online classes that enable them to learn about the trucking industry at their own comfort. This school offers 7 lessons and one final exam. Freight Movers School will guarantee you the transportation and logistics knowledge you need to become a freight broker and get your freight broker license.

4 Load Training

Load Training was established by David Dwindle. This school offers you courses consisting of step-by-step study processes, reference guides, and many other resources that allow you to become a freight agent or getting your license. As one of the most remarkable freight broker agent schools in America, Load Training prides and expert on teaching people how to find freight from shippers and show you how to succeed in this industry. Students can choose to attend home study course classes or in a physical location. Once you fill out the form they provide, you will have instant access and have the possibility to become a professional freight broker.

5 BROOKE Transportation Training Solutions, LLC

Brooke Transportation Training Solutions is the perfect training school for you if you`re looking for a freight agent broker training program with a Five-Day Course. This school specializes in providing the nation’s premier freight broker training resource. Students can learn everything all information they need to know about creating a freight brokerage company. Brooke Transportation Training Solutions will support you on every step of the journey from student to professional license freight agent. All useful resources, like required textbooks, lectures, videos, and practical training are here accessible at a reasonable price. Start your journey with Brooke Transportation Training Solutions.

6 Freight Broker Planet  

Since the establishment in 2011, Freight Broker Planet continuously striving to provide the best course to students. They offer unique freight broker training opportunities to students which allow them to become successful, balanced, and rewarding transportation and logistics freight broker experts. Freight Broker Planet has a friendly and cooperative staff which can provide you the latest and the best training you need. With more than 30 years of experience in school admissions, CDL license recruitment, corporate sales training, Freight Broker, and Freight Agent Training, Freight Broker Planet become one of the popular training schools you can rely on.

7 Wake Tech

Wake Technical Community College know what you need to know, and they are willing to teach you exactly what you need.  As one of the certified training schools, Wake Technical Community College gained the trust of many students around the world.

They obtained accreditations from the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate degrees, diplomas, and certificates. For many years of serving people, Wake Tech remains dedicated and committed to assisting you to become successful and ready to meet your future goals.

8 Freight Movers School

Are you searching for a very flexible school, that offers classes with a different focus? Then you must choose the Freight Movers School. Here at Freight Movers School, you can choose courses that best suit your needs and budget. Here you can receive proper training to become a part of the trucking, freight logistics, and transportation industries. Once you`ve graduated, this school will give you everything you need to start your freight broker business. Of course, this company stands out as an online resource for plenty of reasons. In the fact that thousands of brokers completed its training and the company continuously support by providing ongoing support post-graduation.

9 Ted Keyes Online

One of the best respectable training institutions is Ted Keyes Online. A training program which is well-known for new and established freight brokers. This coaching ground provides plenty of courses and classes for truckers, brokers & agents, and entrepreneurs. All resources can help the students to become stay compliant with regulation changes, communicating with customers, negotiating rates, finding the most suitable carriers, and staying on top of trends in sales, marketing, and understanding how to operate a business.

10 JPL Enterprises

Headquartered in Florida, JPL Enterprises is a professional transportation management consulting firm that offers excellent training to freight brokers. JPL is one of the most comprehensive freight broker training resources available online. They use live in-person classes, educational DVDs, and training-on-demand services to support people in becoming successful. In the entire 3 weeks of training, JPL Enterprises International helps future freight brokers not just learn the strategy of the trade but also assisting them through the complete process of availing a license and growing up a business of their own.

11 JW Bond Consultants   

JW Surety Bonds is a family-owned agency founded in 2003. With the help of more than 50 skilled and professional staff, they successfully trained many students to become freight brokers. They provide resources for freight brokers online, including an up-to-date list of the top 12 freight broker training programs and an all-encompassing e-book on establishing a freight brokerage business. Not only that, because they offer several online resources to freight brokers above and beyond educational requirements like how to assess training programs, bond pricing information, and how to manage a rewarding freight broker business. Choose JW Surety Bonds to obtained the advantages you need in learning at the lowest rates and easiest process.

12 Study.com  

Study.com is a helpful website with abundant training programs accessible for free that are important to brokers in operating a business. At a very reasonable cost, this site offers several courses that are arranged by the education institution offering the class. Working with this website, you can get friendly customer service, real-time online quotes, an easy process, and the best information to start a successful freight broker business.

13 Logistic Forwarding Solutions

Being a freight agent or freight broker is not required to have a certification or license to operate their business, or hold a bond or insurance, but being trained has all the opportunity and benefits in the long journey as a broker. Logistics Forwarding Solutions can help you affordably learn the requirements and resources you need as a Freight Broker. It has more advantages if you attended training here compared to an individual who did not attend. Within the 3 weeks of training, you can begin working while continuing to learn and studying the freight agent training curriculum.

 14 Delgado Community College

Enrolled now to one of the reputable colleges of this industry the Delgado Community College. With a comprehensive course curriculum offered by this school, you can become a freight broker or agent in no time. Learn the ins and outs of this freight broke industry within 6 months whether in an online program or in-person, depending on your pace. All of their educators are highly experienced and professional in teaching that’s why you can rely on them on how to develop a business, marketing and sales, securing clients, and marginalizing maximum profits. Build your career in this ever-growing freight industry with Delgado Community College.

 

15 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Do you want to build foundational knowledge in the freight brokering industry? Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) provides courses that include topics on subjects like freight transportation, traveler transportation, transportation themes, and more. In their introduction, they focused on effective operation and transportation systems fundamentals methods. They teach how to reduce costs and enrich supply chain performance. At the present, this training institution is supported by reputable men and women who is responsible for educating individuals.

16 Freight Broker/Agent Training (ed2go)

In the US, Freight Brokerage is a booming business with a high future income projection. It’s an ideal sector you are searching for when you plan to start in the business world. Ed2go prepared and establish the right training for freight brokers and agents, learn the parameters needed to start your freight brokerage. Secure your business and know the skills required in becoming a successful freight broker or agent. Here in Ed2go, you will be informed about the sales and marketing aspects of freight brokerage. With the help of this training, you will learn diverse knowledge and skills about business management, determining quotes, record-keeping, negotiation, and marketing strategies. Everything you need to know about setting up your business and working from home is provided here in Ed2go.

17 Global Edge Michigan State University

Similar to most other fields, obtaining success in freight brokering requires thorough knowledge of the industry. That’s why Global Edge Michigan State University offers specific tutorial topics which include customs brokers and freight forwarders training, trade leads and location of potential markets, export payment forms, required export documents, etc. By learning its method and strategy, you’d be better prepared to operate the regular workflow, as well as the troubles on the way in the freight brokering business.

18 Radford University

Freight Brokering and being an expert freight Agent is a good way to start a home-based business. International Trade Basics has a collection of 77 slides focusing on trade and the state of Virginia which includes the topics about changing import and export environment, Virginia trading partners, assessing markets and corruptions, globalization.

19 U.S. Department of Transportation

U.S. Department of Transportation provides a Small Entity Compliance Guide for Broker Operations that can guide freight brokers to understand and comply with the regulations of the industry. This guide will teach you how to obtain profitable freight and what will happen if a broker isn’t in compliance with regulations. In this guide, you can learn how to apply for a motor carrier number and operating businesses. A list of exempt commodities is also resource that included in this guide.

20 Transportation Training Group

Have you been looking for a training course opportunity that enables you to become one of the professional freight brokers someday? For almost twenty years, Transportation Training Group has helped many individuals in making their goals become reality. This group will teach you how to get America’s largest motor carriers to transport your freight. They will present to you the tricks of the trade-in freight rate negotiations. In just 30 days, they can help you licensed and operates your freight broker business.

21 Freight Broker Training Academy

If you`re looking for a freight broker training school that can offer you a one-stop-shop for all of your needs to become an expert in one-month freight broker, then you must choose FreightBrokerAcademyHQ.com. Whether you are just starting your journey in the transportation business, or want to innovate and improve your existing knowledge base, you can trust and rely on FreightBrokerAcademyHQ.com. You can focus on your freight broker training, with the help of this academy. In every step you take, Freight Broker Academy Headquarters is always willing to guide you from being a student until you`ve succeeded in this career.

22 Logistics Academy

Established in 2015, The Logistics Academy is one of the preferred training academies chooses by many students. They provide affordable and diverse courses for brokers starts at $149. This is the Sales Techniques and Strategies program that costs $149. The Freight Agent Training one is $249, while the basic Freight Broker Training course costs $299. You’ll need to pay $199 for the Basic Logistics Training. They also offer a Premium Freight Broker Training Package that can be accessible at $699 and covers all of the courses they offer in their training.

23 Freight Brokers Course

If you’re looking for training to be a freight broker, why not be trained by an expert freight brokerage here in Freight Brokers Course? The Freight Brokers Course provides high-quality online logistics training. This is available for budding brokers from across the U.S. This training resource offers 4 pricing options for its online course and tools. Connect to them now to experience second-to-none training which can help you achieve your goal in the brokering business.

24 TALTOA Freight Broker Training

Freight brokering has a big role in the continuously growing transportation industry and TALTOA Freight Broker Training may be the right training school what you are searching for to become an expert in brokering. For more than 20 years, Taltoa`s become well-trained and consulted freight professionals that offer placement, training, and consulting for freight brokers and agents. Anytime, everywhere you can take the course online at your comfortable pace. If you prefer in-class programs, TALTOA Freight Broker Training is located in Fort Smith, Arkansas, you can visit anytime.  The online Freight Broker Essential course is $2,650, the Freight Broker Essential course costs $4,950, $69.95 for the Freight Broker Training Manual and self-study options costs $99.95 for the online course. Visit and familiarize this school.

25 Freight Broker Trainer

Led by the Transportation Training Group, Freight Broker Trainer school is an online training course for freight brokers that costs $699.95. Freight Broker Trainer comprehensively supports an individual on every step of the journey to become an expert freight agent. You can follow the online or home study program from anywhere. Freight Broker Trainers provides training options for freight dispatchers, brokers, and oversize load pilot car operators.

26 Atex Freight Broker Training

Another good way to start your training in brokering is to choose the best freight broker training school that suits your needs and budget. The ATEX Freight Broker Training school is one of the helpful educational options if you want to start a freight broker experience. They provide rich information to guarantee your success. Whether you prefer a home study course, live course, or telephone or internet course, ATEX Freight Broker Training school can provide all of that. The telephone or internet course costs $1,995, the live course fee is $2,995 and the home study course is $1,295. The in-class program is located in El Paso, Texas.

27 Freight Broker Agent School

Freight Broker Agent School is noted as being the premier freight broker school of today’s generation. Attend the courses and workshops of the Freight Broker Agent School to start your training in freight brokering.  Freight Broker Agent School is placed in Winder, GA. They also have advanced workshops in Albany, GA, as well as locations in Florida. The courses here give freight brokers a foundational education in operating a Freight Broker business, knowledge and skills necessary for the job including communication and sales to customers, as well as marketing guidance. Contact this training school to know their courses range in cost.

28 Rapid Authority

Southeast of the U.S based training school, Rapid Authority school is one of the reputable training school which can help you learn the most important information and strategy in freight brokering industry. A good choice for you when you are located near this school. This school provides a short workshop on how to starts your freight brokering business, but not only that. They also offer licensing help services.

29 Freight Broker Bootcamp

The Freight Broker Bootcamp is one of the best online training alternatives for freight broker training. This website contains advanced and very useful details on how to become a successful freight broker. Ever since the establishment, Freight Broker Bootcamp has been helping students become successful freight brokers and freight agents. Several online courses and articles are available at a cost-effective price start at $98. Be one of their thankful students who become a licensed freight broker agent.

30 Broker U

To become a top freight broker, you need to learn the know-how tactics in the freight brokering industry. You can trust Udemy! Besides separate online schools, Udemy learning platforms offer freight brokering courses called Broker U. Here in Udemy, they have instructors who hold college degrees and have extensive classroom teaching history and experience.  For many years of experience in freight brokering, they make sure to provide excellent learning at a reasonable cost started at $199. Udemy pride themselves on their loyalty, integrity, honesty, and service-oriented performance.

31 Cal State East Bay’s Freight Broker/Agent Training Certificate Program

Cal State East Bay’s Freight Broker/Agent Training Certificate Program is an accredited university and popular college institution chosen as the Best in the West college by The Princeton Review. This is the right program for you if you`re enjoying fast-paced work and have always dreamed of starting and operating your own business. Here in Cal State East Bay’s Freight Broker, you’ll discover the resources and ways to become a successful freight broker. You’ll find that your growth potential is unlimited when you`ve completed your training with a certificate from here. Start your career now and be one of the students who get proper training in this excellent program.

32 World Academy and the American River Group of Companies

Are you ready to initiate a great new career? Freight brokering is an excellent way to boom your career with solid opportunities to work comfortably from your own home. The World Academy is committed to informed clients to be compliant and teach regulatory awareness about the freight brokering industry. If you`re interested to learn about freight broking, please contact or visit World Academy and the American River Group of Companies for more information.   Under cost-effective savings to your company’s bottom line, World Academy offers you an advanced world-class practice to exceed the demands of Customs Compliance Management.

33 University of Central Florida

Freight broker training is highly recommended to become a successful freight broker. Training will help gain an understanding and skills of the industry and to get assistance with job seeking. That’s why the University of Central Florida in Orlando provides proper training that allows students to avail license to get a job. They offer 6 months to complete the coursework, and also with the option of a 6-month extension. The topics in this program include all aspects of freight brokering, including starting your own business and industry regulations and an overview of the transportation industry. A great opportunity for students because they offer chances to meet with freight brokerages and tackle employment options.

34 Online Articles and Forums

Freight broker training school is an effective way for you to learn about techniques in the Freight brokering industry. They will teach you all technology tools, industry trends, how to operate, and best practices for your freight broker business in the field. But you may also want to gain insights and knowledge into the trucking industry by engaging in online forums or by reading publications on trucking, shipping, and logistics. Online forums enable easy connections with industry professionals. While checking regularly the articles available online provide best practices and industry insights in this changing industry. It will help freight brokers stay updated on necessary details in the business.

 35 RICHLAND Community College

With 45 years of experience, Richland Community College has successfully and proudly served the people of Central Illinois. Thanks to their strong combination of the workforce, top-quality instruction, meaningful support services, great technical and transfer education, etc. In choosing Richland you will experience a college with an extremely welcoming and filled with opportunity. Vast and abundant learning opportunities are here.  So, what are you waiting for? Don’t waste your time and effort searching for a school for your freight broking training. You`re in the right place. Complete your educational goals now and achieve the reality of your dreams.

36 HOUSTON Community College

Here in Houston Community College & Excelsior Enterprise International Inc. you can learn and know how to manage your own freight brokerage in just 1 day. Houston Community College aims to deliver relevant and top-class education and training to guarantee the success of all students who attend their programs. All courses are offered at an affordable cost for education academic advancement. Be prepared to learn and start your freight broking career.

37 University of North Florida’s Division of Continuing Education

University of North Florida’s Division of Continuing Education is one of the best school students can choose to attend. They employ a team of staff and professional, volunteer educators dedicated to offering remarkable education courses, experiences, and accreditations that will improve your personal, professional skills, and social life, finance, business, or logistics. This education will prepare you to successfully enrich your life by improving your artistic, creative, and hands-on skills. All modules they provide have been designed by world-class transportation and logistics instructors and practitioners. This guarantees that your education exceeds industry standards.

38 Trucking Office       

In this resource, you will find freight brokering is an interesting business opportunity to become successful. Freight brokering is a growing field, which is in high demand in today’s generation. It offers many advantages including the ability to work from home. Aside from that, you can gain high-income potential in flexible hours works. You can find and learn on this site if Freight Broker Schools a Good Investment? Who Is a Good Freight Broker? Benefits of Freight Broker Training and more. Be prepared to achieve a diverse set of skills which includes knowledge of the transportation industry, customer relations, marketing, sales, and a willingness to stick with it through the challenging early stages in freight brokering.

39 FreightBrokerCourse.com

 

Freight Brokers Course.com is a leading online freight broker training resource willing to support students become freight brokers or independent contract agents. With their cutting-edge Learning Management System, you can learn anywhere at any time. Their professional skills and knowledge, 24/7 assistance will help you complete their course. Whatever pace you would like, you can get your business up and operates. For as low as $99 online freight broker training courses, you can learn all the information you need to be an expert in Transportation and Logistics Management as a Freight Agent/ Broker. Register today and start your freight brokering career now!

40 Florida State College at Jacksonville

Freight broker training in Florida State College at Jacksonville will help you understand the process of freight brokering from start to end. They will assist you in having the tools needed to be an achiever as a freight agent or freight broker. With their support, you will learn the basics of the day-to-day journey of a brokerage. You can use the techniques and strategies such as sales and marketing, prospecting, rating, and negotiations. Be a licensed freight broker or a freight broker agent now and become part of the challenging and exciting freight logistics, trucking, and transportation industries.

41 FreightBrokerBootCamp.com

Owned by Dennis Brown, FreightBrokerBootCamp.com is one of the most comprehensive sources to assist you to evaluate the most suitable kind of freight broker training that can fit your exact needs. Dennis established his freight brokerage in the year 2003, and now continuously striving and aiming to provide high-quality education to support students. Hundreds of individuals are so happy attending his freight brokerage because it`s offered at a very comprehensive but affordable online freight broker training. Many are satisfied and now working at their own comfortable pace. Classes are offered in-person and online training programs to give you greater flexibility and more options to learn.

42 Community College of Baltimore Country

Way back in the year 1957, Community College of Baltimore Country has opened the doors to people who want to become a successful Freight Broker/Agent. It is nationally recognized as a leader in advanced learning strategies. With its affordable, accessible, and high-quality education they enrich and improve many lives of others. The freight broker course they provide will teach you all the resources and requirements which are necessary to pass a brokerage licensing/authority. You can access the informative video tutorials, workflow diagrams, training articles, necessary forms, a roadmap for starting your broker business, and more.

43 Division of Continuing Education for the University of Louisiana at Monroe ( ULM )

Are you interested to grow in the freight brokering industry? You are welcome at this training school. Division of Continuing Education for the University of Louisiana at Monroe has a team of professionals with talented and experienced educators who are dedicated to providing quality programs to all individuals, businesses, groups, and communities. They can offer you Educational Opportunities for a Lifetime! Be knowledgeable in the field of freight brokering with the help of the Division of Continuing Education for the University of Louisiana at Monroe training. Be one of the victorious individuals who trust the Division of Continuing Education for the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

44 Calhoun Community College

Calhoun Community College established an online career training program just for you to become a fortunate Freight Broker/Agent! You’ll learn the basics of how to operate a domestic freight brokerage or agency in just a few days. From licensing and operations to sales and marketing, all of this is accessible at a reasonable price that fit your budgets and needs. Of course, this program will give you advantages.  All the knowledge and resources you needed to be victorious are here. Don’t hesitate to learn from Calhoun Community College. Enroll now!

45 Global Trade

Do you want to become a freight broker? Are you interested in the transportation and logistics industry? There are steps on how to achieve your goals. First you must get the proper training from professionals, developed a business plan, obtain a bond or trust fund, and meets legal requirements. In this resour

This guide will take you through all the vital aspects you need to know about shipping container sizes and dimensions.

So, before investing in your new shipping container, read this guide.

Various Shipping Container Sizes And Dimensions In The Market

When we are discussing shipping containers we have to note that there is a variety in the market.

The standard sizes of shipping containers are 10 feet, 20 feet, and 40 feet.

This does not mean you can’t get a bigger-sized container that is more than 40 feet.

The different sizes of shipping containers are as follows;

8-foot Shipping Container

This one is used mostly in the military to transport their equipment.

The internal dimensions of this container are the length of 2.287 meters, height is 2.067 meters, and width of 2.112 meters.

Its external measurements are; length of 2.438 meters, a width of 2.200 meters, and a height of 2.260 meters.

10-foot Shipping Container

This type of container is slightly bigger than the 8-foot shipping container.

It is also used in the military for shipping their equipment.

The external dimensions of this shipping container are 2.991 meters in length, 2.438 meters in width, and 2.591 meters in height.

The inner measurements of the container are the length of 2.831 meters, a width of 2.350 meters, and a height of 2.390 meters.

10-foot-high Cube Shipping Container

These containers provide an additional foot of height for more storage.

The inner dimensions are 2.840 meters, 2.350 meters in width and the height is 2.698 meters.

The outer measurements of this container are 2.991 meters’ length, the width of 2.438 meters, and the height of 2.896 meters.

20-foot Shipping Container

This is the most popular type of shipping container.

It has inner dimensions of 5.898 meters in length, 2.352 meters in width, and a height of 2.390 meters.

The external dimensions of the container are as follows, length of 6.058 meters, width of 2.438 meters, and height of 2.591 meters.

20-foot-high Cube Container

These are popular for transportation purposes and also provide an extra foot of height for extra storage.

The inner dimensions are 5.898 meters’ length, the height of 2.302 meters, and the width of 2.287 meters.

The external measurements are 6.058 meters in length, height is 2.591 meters and width is 2.438 meters.

20-foot High Cube Shipping Container With Side Opening

This container will provide you with easy access to your stored goods as well as an additional foot of height.

The inner measurements are 5.898 meters in length, the width of 2.287 meters, and the height of 2.607 meters.

The outer dimensions are the length of 6.058 meters, the width of 2.438 meters, and the height of 2.896 meters.

40-foot Standard Shipping Container

Are double the size of a 20-foot container and are also very common.

The internal measurements of this container are 12.032 meters in length, the width of 2.352 meters, and the height of 2.393 meters.

The outer dimensions are 12.192 meters in length, 2.438 meters in width, and height of 2.591 meters.

40-foot-high Cube Container

This container provides an extra foot of height for additional storage.

The external dimensions are 12.192 meters in length, the width of 2.438 meters, and the height of 2.896 meters.

The inner dimensions are the length of 12.032 meters, the width of 2.350 meters, and the height of 2.695 meters.

45-foot Shipping Container

This shipping container is slightly bigger than the 40-foot container.

The external measurements for this container are 13.716 meters’ length, the width of 2.438 meters, and the height of 2.896 meters.

The inner dimensions of this container are 13.556 meters in length, the width of 2.352 meters, and a height of 2.69 meters.

53 Feet Shipping Container

These containers are much larger on the inside.

The external measurements of this container are 16.15 meters long, 2.89 meters high, and 2.59 meters wide.

The internal measurements are as follows, 16 meters long, 2.49 meters wide, and 2.79 meters high.

48 Feet Shipping Containers

This shipping container has almost the same design as 45 feet shipping container but it is a bit longer.

Their external measurements of the container are 14.63 meters long, 2.59 meters wide, and 2.89 meters high.

The internal measurements are 14.48 meters long, 2.49 meters wide, and 2.70 meters high.

How Size And Dimensions Determine Cost Of Shipping Containers

The most common sizes of shipping containers are 40 foot and 20-foot containers.

When you have a big dimension shipping container, it simply means you have more space and volume.

This means that a 40 ft. container capacity is two times bigger than that of a 20 ft. container.

When you have large size container, its cost of production and transporting is higher compared to a small one.

Therefore, the cost of purchasing a large size shipping container is higher than that of a smaller shipping container.

Since the cost emerges from its manufacturing process until when it is shipped and reaches the customer.

Relationship Between Shipping Container Size And Dimension Vs Capacity Of Shipping Container

You always have to compare the size of a shipping container and its capacity before purchasing to get what suits you best.

The size and dimension of the shipping container are relative to the capacity it can hold.

When for example you purchase a 40-foot shipping container and some else purchases a 50-foot container.

The one who purchased the 50-foot container has extra 10-foot space.

This simply means that the one with a big size container has more space hence more capacity compared to one with a small container.

Therefore, the capacity of a shipping container increases with an increase in size and dimensions.

How Shipping Container Size And Dimensions Determine Weight Of Shipping Container

The size and dimensions of a shipping container will determine its weight.

This means that if you have a bigger-sized shipping container it will weigh more than a small-sized one.

The weight is about materials used in the production of the shipping containers.

For example, a 20-foot shipping container will be lighter than a 40-foot container that is produced by the same manufacturer.

You will use approximately two times more materials in the manufacture of a 40-foot container when you compare it to a 20-foot container.

The more the materials used the heavier the container hence the difference in weight.

More Resources:

• General Purpose Containers
• Intermodal Containers
• Import Shipping Container From China
• Shipping Container Cost And Prices
• Shipping Container Manufacturers In China

If you’re looking shipping containers from China, Tj chinafreight is here to offer a perfect solution – contact us now.

Today, I will show you how to get the best value in used shipping containers.

You will know where to find used shipping containers, how to check the quality and the best prices for used shipping containers, amongst other vital aspects.

So, keep reading if you want to learn more.

Where to Find used Container for Sale in China

There are numerous places to find a used container in China.

Some of the places you can find used shipping container suppliers and manufacturers in China include:

• Trade fairs
• Online B2B marketplace such as AliExpress, Alibaba, China Brands, among others.
• Sourcing companies, agents or buying brokers in China.
• You can also find suppliers and manufacturers on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and linked, among others.
• You can also utilize Google search, especially google maps, to locate used container manufacturers and suppliers in China.
• Referrals by related business partners.
• Using catalogues and coupons

Leading Shipping Container Suppliers in China

Some of the leading shipping container suppliers in China include:

• Qingdao Approfine new material technology company limited
• Jingjiang Jiaxing company limited
• China international marine container group company limited
• Singamas container holdings limited.
• COSCO shipping
• CXIC group containers company limited
• China eastern containers
• MAERSIK container industry

In addition to these, here is a list of top 50 shipping container manufacturers in China.

What to Look for When Buying Used Shipping Container

Factors to look for when buying used shipping container include:

• Shipping container sizes: before buying a used shipping container, it is essential to establish the size you need.

Used shipping containers are available in various configurations, lengths and sizes and the most common are closed top containers with doors that open on only one end.

• Container inspection: before buying a used shipping container, it is essential to check for the following features:

a) Holes: Check for holes by stepping into the used shipping container and closing the door. In case there are holes, the light will shine onto you.

b) Doors and locking mechanism: ascertain that the doors are well secured and seal properly if the container is to be used for storage.

c) Dents: observe for dents on the roof as these may collect water and turn into a rust spot and create a hole over time.

d) Patches: ascertain that any patches made on the used shipping container are done correctly and do not separate from the container’s structure.

e) Age: younger containers are better.

f) Floor: ensure that the original plywood floors of the used shipping container are still intact.

g) Odour: ensure that the used shipping container has no odour before buying it.

• Supplier reputation: when purchasing used shipping containers, ensure that you always deal with a reputable company which has been in business for long.

This will grant you the assurance that the company will deliver what was promised.

• Delivery cost: used shipping containers need special handling equipment for smooth handling when shipping them as they are quite heavy.

Thus, you should always ask if the delivery cost is an added advantage or inclusive when buying used shipping containers.

• Check for repainting: ensure that the used shipping container you are purchasing has been well repainted and repairs have been made in the right way.
• Container usage: the function you require the container to serve will determine the quality grade of the container that you choose.

Used containers are available in three grades; A are containers in excellent condition, B are containers in relative condition while C is pretty ordinary containers.

Types of used Shipping Containers

Some of the available types of shipping containers include:

• General-purpose containers or dry containers: this type of used shipping container is fully enclosed thus protected from environmental factors’ interference.

These are the most commonly used type of containers and can have adaptions like flexitanks or liner bags.

• Flat rack containers: the side of this type of container is collapsible so that it can be folded to make a flat rack.

Flat rack container’s end walls are stable to allow cargo securing making them ideal for shipping oversized goods like vehicles on tracks, heavy machinery and construction material.

• Open top containers: this type of used shipping container has a convertible top and can be removed entirely.

Also, this feature makes it suitable for handling cargo that is over-height and is hard to load through the container’s door.

• Double door containers: double door containers have doors on both ends, and these help in loading and unloading goods quickly.
• High cube containers: these are used where a bigger volume capacity is required. This type of used container always has a recess in the floor located at the front end, which enables it to lie lower and be of taller construction.
• Open side containers: this type of used shipping container has doors that can open entirely on the side, providing a more expansive room and access to the container.
• Reefer containers: these are used for very perishable shipping goods, and they rely on external power for temperature regulation.
• Insulated containers: these containers have regulated temperature control which enables them to withstand higher temperature levels.

They are suited for long-distance transportation.

• Half-height containers: this has a low centre of gravity that enables them to handle heavier loads as they are robust enough to sustain the harsh industrial environment.
• Tank containers: these are used to transport liquid materials and are made up of either anti-corrosive or robust steel.

Tank containers should be at least eighty per cent full to prevent dangerous surging in transit.

It must not be over 95% full to allow for sufficient room for thermal expansion.

• Swap body containers: these are exchangeable containers used for rail and road. They have a convertible top, making them ideal for shipping a wide range of goods.

Benefits of using Used Shipping Containers

Some of the benefits of using used shipping containers include:

• Used shipping containers are purchased at a lower cost than a brand new one and can provide as much utility as using a brand-new unit.
• They assist in environmental conservation when initially used containers are upcycled or reused to better products.
• A variety of applications can be served using used shipping containers.
• Used shipping containers can fulfil versatile functions such as extra storage, container home or temporary building.
• Used shipping containers are very durable as they are structurally constructed to withstand rough and unpredictable weather conditions.

Limitations of Used Shipping Containers

Some of the limitations of used shipping containers include:

• Physical constraints: physical constraints inside the used shipping containers such as lack of ventilation and high temperatures might cause damage to the goods.
• Characteristics of the merchandise: specific aspects of the cargo in the used shipping container might limit the used container shipping plan. The load may be rejected if the goods in the used shipping container do not correspond to a standardized container due to the cargo’s weight, goods dimension and volume.
• Rust and corrosion: used shipping containers are not rust proof; thus, they need regular care and attention.
• Toxic materials: if used shipping containers were exposed to multiple insecticides to meet global import and export procedures, they might be subject to toxic exposure.

How Used Shipping Containers compare to New Shipping Containers

Comparison of used shipping containers and new shipping containers include:

Container Condition

Used shipping containers are mostly in excellent conditions, but suppliers do not guarantee 100% lack of dents, surface rust or blemishes.

On the other hand, if your primary basis is on external appearance, you should go for new shipping containers as they have only served a single trip.

New shipping containers have a relatively long lifespan and haven’t been exposed to unknown chemical contaminations.

On the other hand, used shipping containers might have been initially used to transport toxic products and thus might require additional treatment.

Container Pricing

The budget set in place will determine whether to go for a used shipping container or a new shipping container.

New shipping container prices range between $3000 to $5000 while used shipping container prices range between $2000 to $3000 depending on various features and sizes.

Here is useful information about shipping container cost and price.

Potential Uses

New containers are perfect for functions such as offices, shipping container homes or restaurants.

However, if you do not require a new container for a specific purpose, you should opt for used shipping containers as you can always clean up and repaint.

Uses of Used Shipping Containers

Some of the uses of shipping containers include:

• Housing: used shipping containers have become popular in making shipping container houses or homes.
• Perfectly sized pool: used shipping containers are easily used to make a backyard swimming pool.
• Sturdy shed: they are converted into a useable outdoor space.
• They make strong weather-proof garden rooms.
• Used shipping containers are also used in making home offices and playhouses.
• The pop-up shop, bar or café: due to their size and shape, used shipping containers are ideal for conversion into a pop-up shop, bar or café.
• Metal playground
• Storage: used shipping containers can provide cargo storage and protect them from damage and exposure to environmental factors.

How much Used Shipping Containers Cost?

A used shipping container will cost you about $3000 for a 40-foot container and $2000 for a 20-foot container depending on its size, current market demand and features.

Sizes of Used Shipping Containers

Used shipping containers come in a range of sizes, and the most common container lengths externally are 20 feet and 40 feet shipping containers.

The standard width of the used shipping container is 8ft, and the standard height is 8ft 6″, and for a high cube, it will have one additional foot making it 9ft 6”.

For internal dimensions, the sides of the used shipping container are corrugated, and the depth of the corrugation is 1 inch.

The back is corrugated, and the used shipping container doors are around 2 inches thick.

The floor of the used shipping container has an underside clearance of 6 inches and a thickness of 1.1 inches

Sizes of used shipping containers include:

• 20-foot containers: its standard unit is 8’6’’ in height and 8’ wide.
• 40-foot containers: this is the most commonly bought used shipping container. They are also 8’6” in height, and 8′ wide but have other high cube units which are 9’6” in size and 8′ wide.
• 10-foot collapsible containers: these are collapsible.
• 53-foot containers: these are high cube units which are 9’6’’ in height and 8’6’’ wide.

When to Buy Used Shipping Container instead of New Shipping Containers

Factors that will determine when to buy used shipping container instead of a new shipping container include:

• Cost: new shipping containers are expensive as compared to used shipping containers. Therefore, if you cannot meet the price of a new shipping container, you can opt for a used shipping container.
• Appearance: if external appearance is not so important, used shipping containers are purchased instead of the new shipping container.
• Lifespan: if you need to use the container for a shorter period or a specific one-time purpose, it is better to opt for a used shipping container.
• Usage: choose used shipping container if you do not need a new container for any particular reason.

ISO Standards for Used Shipping Containers

ISO standards for used shipping containers include:

• ISO 6346: 1995, which specifies the information needed for the correct coding, identification and marking of any used ISO container according to the manufacturer’s standard.
• ISO 830:1999 this was reviewed and confirmed in 2016, and it covers vocabulary used to describe used shipping containers accurately.
• ISO 9891-1 this specifies the several parts and components needed to construct a used shipping container.
• ISO 1496: gives a description of the internal dimensions for the design of a used shipping container.
• ISO 668: 2013: This standard is for the general purpose used shipping containers and specifies their external dimensions and minimal internal dimensions.

How to Inspect Quality of Used Shipping Container

It is essential to take a look at the following feature on the outside of the used shipping containers:

• Check corners and seams: inspect corners and seams to ascertain that they are free from warping, rust, cracks and corrosion.
• Read the CSC plate: this external plate will show clearly the manufacturer’s name, the maintenance history and the date that the used shipping container is produced.
• Inspect the doors and locks: make sure that the doors shut tightly by swinging and closing them and inspect the locks to ascertain that they are undamaged.
• Check the roof and any cables, wires and tarpaulins: inspect for any signs of cracks, corrosion and damage that might weaken the structure of the used shipping container.

For the inside of the used shipping container, inspect the following feature to ascertain the quality of the container:

• Inspect for cracks and leaks: inspect for leakages and cracks by entering the container and shutting the door to observe if the light is coming through.

If there is no light, it means the used shipping container is watertight.

• Makes sure the used shipping container is odourless, clean and dry by inspecting if any chemicals or residue were left behind.
• Inspect for protrusions: inspect to ensure that there are no protrusions like errant nails which might damage your cargo.
• Inspect temperature controls if relevant: in this case, ascertain that the used shipping containers refrigeration is appropriate and the container is set to the right temperature to prevent goods from damage.

Quality Marks on Used Shipping Containers

Some of the quality marks on used shipping containers include:

• Container number: it is the star marking on the door and is an alphanumeric sequence of 4 alphabets and seven digits. This container number has been created by ISO under their code ISO6346:1995 and consists of:

a) Owner code (3 letters)

b) Equipment category: 1 letter

c) Serial number: 6 numbers

d) Check digit (1 number)

• Container owner or lessor: this is the entity which owns or operates the used shipping container.
• Max gross: it is the maximum weight that the used shipping container can carry.
• ISO code: ISO under their code ISO6346:1995(E) requires each used container to be given a unique ISO code to avoid ambiguity.
• Classification society label for type testing
• Weight of container
• Maximum payload
• Container Safety Convention (CSC)
• Approved Continuous Examination Programme (ACEP)
• Caution stickers on 40’/45′ high cube used container.

How to Transport used Shipping Containers

Before being transported, used shipping containers need to be lifted onto the transport mode due to their nature and weight.

Some of the options of lifting used shipping containers include:

• Container lifting jacks: these are portable and cost-effective and can lift used containers in lower container volume locations. It can work in tight spaces and can lift heavily used containers.
• Straddle carriers: these are mobile on-site and can move used shipping containers with ease.
• Tilt beds: this lowers the deck’s back end to ground level, thus enabling the used shipping container to be winched on or pushed.
• Gantry cranes: gantry cranes are high-speed and efficient where there are a high container turnover and port operations.
• Reach stackers: this is very fast and efficient and can lift heavily used shipping containers around on site or transfer them between the ground, wagon and stack.
• Forklifts: forklifts are multipurpose equipment able to lift used shipping containers that are 20 feet long or shorter.
• Top loaders: this can lift used shipping containers from the top and stack them in a single pile.
• Side loaders: this is a high-capacity chassis that can lift, transport, and move full used shipping containers from the ground to other locations.
• Truck cranes: this used container shipping equipment works by being mounted onto the truck carrier.

Ways of transporting used shipping containers include:

• Used shipping container transport by truck: this method will be dependent on the used shipping container size and the truck accessibility to the destination.
• Tilt bed truck: tilt bed truck is highly recommended if you transport your used shipping container less than 200 miles. It requires no additional equipment in handling the container as the tilt bed can be tipped at an angle and slide the cargo off with ease.
• Flatbed truck: it is cost-effective to transport used shipping containers using a flatbed for distances longer than 200 miles. This method’s used shipping container can be offloaded off the truck bed using a crane or forklift.
• Step-deck truck: the step-deck truck is used to transport used shipping containers 9.5 feet tall and above. The used shipping container is offloaded using either a crane or forklift.
• Used shipping container transport by train: rail proves to be a feasible option for transporting used shipping containers although in most cases the container should be full of cargo.
• Used shipping container transport by boat: used shipping containers can also be transported via water although additional logistics issue for delivering it to the specific destination is incurred.

How to Start Selling used Shipping Containers

Entering into used shipping container business proves to be a lucrative deal as companies require a number of their goods to be transported to various locations of the world.

The key to succeeding in selling used shipped containers is to approach the business strategically as elaborated below:

• Create an effective business plan: before commencing on anything else, you need a detailed business plan summarizing the purpose, financial status and business partners and investors if any.
• Scope out the competition: even before starting to sell, it is essential to establish your competitors in the market and put in place measures to handle them.

It is necessary to look at competitors’ strengths and weaknesses and observe how they market themselves mostly online.

• Secure certifications, licensing and insurance: ensure that you have all the licenses and insurances required for conducting used shipping container business.
• Consider starting small: if there are no investors in place, consider starting your business small and growing gradually as you get profit.
• Establish contracts: once all is set up and licenses are in place, its time to go ahead and make money by getting shipping contracts or letters of intents from companies in the used shipping container business.

Features to Consider when Buying Used Shipping Containers

Some of the features to look for when buying used shipping containers include:

• Check the overall condition of the used shipping container by walking around the outside of the used shipping container.
• Assess paint, seals around the edges and the corner castings.
• Look at the sides of the used shipping container for any dents and any signs of corrosion as this will prove that it is in bad shape.
• Observe for any aesthetic blemishes which would make purchasing the used shipping container a horrible decision.
• Doors of the used shipping container should lock and seal securely.
• Inspect for cracks and leaks: inspect for leakages and cracks by entering the container and shutting the door to observe if the light is coming through. If there is no light, it means the used shipping container is watertight.
• Makes sure the used shipping container is odourless, clean and dry by inspecting if any chemicals or residue were left behind.
• Examine for loose floorboards.

How Condition of Used Shipping Container Determine Price

If sourcing for used shipping containers with minimum wear and tear, opt for one-trip shipping containers as they only carry their first and last cargo.

These containers price estimate include:

• $3000 for 20-foot shipping container
• $4500 for 40-foot standard shipping container
• $5000 for 40-foot standard high cube container

In summary, newer shipping containers will call for higher prices as they have a longer life span, reduced risk of chemical contamination and minimum wear and tear.

Used shipping containers might have outlived their shelf-life for international transport but be in good condition for other uses.

This containers price estimate includes:

• $2000 for 20-foot used shipping container
• $3000 for 40-foot used shipping container

In summary, used shipping containers that have been used for a long time will have relatively lower prices as compared to those containers that have been used for shorter periods.

Find the Best Deal when Buying used Shipping Container.

To get the best deal when buying a used shipping container, you can use the following tactics:

• Bulk buying
• Buying directly from the manufacturer
• Market research
• Familiarize yourself with the import rules of your country to avoid incurring unnecessary costs.
• Be aware of the taxes you need to pay.
• Get the necessary licenses to buy a used shipping container to avoid costs as a result of fines.
• Look out for the right supplier and manufacture to save on switching costs or breach of the Contract.
• Check the minimum order quantity (MOQ) required.
• Check the shipping charges and if drop shipping is available.
• Opt for an agent to guide you on the best prices around.
• Buy insurance for safety.

Risks of Buying Used Shipping Containers

Some of the risks of buying used shipping containers include:

• Paying too much: the most significant risk in buying used shipping containers is spending a lot than expected. The reseller may hide additional costs like delivery fees that need to be offset.
• Nasty condition surprises: customers may receive the used shipping container in a much worse condition than expected due to deceiving photos sent by resellers.
• Delivery disasters: at times the buyer may bargain for a used shipping container and achieve a good deal only to incur very high costs for it to be delivered.
• No guarantee or support: some resellers are only after making a profit and do not aim at keeping the customer satisfied.

Leasing vs Buying Used Shipping Container

A used shipping container is not that expensive, but they are not very cheap; therefore, it is essential to assess and determine if there is an option of either leasing or buying.

There is no rigid formula to choose between leasing and buying used shipping containers as it is considered by simple mathematics.

Note that the amount you need to pay to purchase a used shipping container is higher than the sticker price.

This is because you will incur delivery fees.

When leasing a used shipping container, you will also incur additional fees with each billing cycle which you should look at.

After establishing the total costs of leasing and buying a used shipping container, you can then do simple math by considering:

• How much the used shipping container costs to purchase should include everything required to be paid like delivery fees, upgrades, and taxes. If the prices are higher, you should opt for leasing.
• Duration: consider how long you would like to keep the used shipping container. If it is for the long-term, you should buy and if you want it for a short period, opt for leasing.
• Consider how much it will cost to lease the container for that amount of time, including recurring costs and upfront costs.

After looking at simple math, you are free to choose the method which best works for you.

How to Find Used Shipping Container in Best Condition

• Getting a great used shipping container at a great price: for used shipping containers in the best condition, choose those with higher costs as they are in better shape and last longer.
• Getting the best quality for money: always settle for high quality used shipping containers and reject used shipping containers which you feel are of more inferior quality.

Grading Used Shipping Container

Used shipping containers are graded in the following categories:

• Grade A: this grade contains new containers in various standard sizes. These are mostly one trip containers.
• Grade B: made up of used shipping containers that are in good condition and have minimal rust and dents. These are mostly less than five years old.
• Grade C: contains used shipping containers that are in fair condition and have moderate rust and dents. These are mostly older than five years.

Delivery Options for Used Shipping Container

Due to the nature and size of used shipping containers, delivering it can result in very high costs.

When negotiating for used shipping container price, it is essential to ensure that the delivery cost is included in the final price.

Some of the different delivery options that can be used include:

• Tilt bed or Roll-off: this delivery option will be met by the trailer tilting back to place the edge of the container to the ground in such a way that it slides off to the floor.
• Customer assist: this option needs the customer to have an anchor point. A chain is attached to the used shipping container and fixed to the anchor point; the trailer moves away releasing the box onto the ground.
• Flatbed: the used shipping container arrives at the destination on a flatbed. The customer uses lifting equipment to offload the used shipping container onto the ground.
• Customer pickup: in this option, customers arrange with the supplier on a specific day to collect the used shipping container.

Warranty Period for Used Shipping Container

Most used container shipping companies do not offer warranties on their containers.

However, a few companies provide warranties like five years guarantee on the structure and a leak guarantee of one year where applicable.

How used Shipping Container compare to Refurbished Shipping Container

So long as businesses continue to import and export goods, there will always be shipping containers waiting to be recycled, reused or refurbished.

This trend helps on conserving the environment and reduction of costs.

Used shipping containers and refurbished shipping container grant the freedom to get what you want while sticking to a budget.

Weather and Security Protections on Used Shipping Containers

Used shipping containers’ structure is suited to last in harsh conditions.

Before buying used shipping containers, it is essential to assess and that they have weather and security protections like:

• Watertight
• Vermin-proof
• Resistance to wind
• Protected from rodent infestation for clean and safe interiors
• Security mechanisms of the used shipping containers loke steel locks and padlocks should be safe and secure from potential break-ins and vandalism.

Service Lifespan of Used Shippin

There are thousands of freight broker software for all sizes of businesses but if it’s difficult for you to find the freight broker software best for your business, as a professional freight forwarder in China, Tj chinafreight collects the best 50 freight broker software in the world, select the best ones and start your operation now!

Logitude World

Longitude World is a logistics solution that gives authority to businesses in the freight forwarding industry. This can help in terms of streamline procedures related to customer relationship management (CRM), invoicing, profit/loss analysis, transport management, and more.

Longitude World also has key features like email templates, contact management, email notifications, and shipment tracking. It allows users to examine sale conversions, handle outgoing/incoming documents, and maintain a log of emails, meetings, and calls.

Magaya Cargo System

Magaya Cargo System defines as a freight management solution that assists small to midsize businesses handles freight/cargo operations, relationships with carrier and shipper networks. It presents a multi-deployment option and can be hosted on-premise or on a cloud.

Accounting features of Magaya Cargo System includes invoicing, accounts receiving, banking reconciliations, and accounts payable. It let users work on export and import shipping transactions for the ocean, ground, and air shipping.

Infoplus

Infoplus WMS was known as a web-based warehouse management software solution for small and midsize wholesalers, eCommerce retailers, and 3PLs. Its focus is to manage overall warehouse operations, shipping, and inventory.

Infoplus` key features involve the ability to control the unique workflows of different businesses. It gives your business the ability to scale based to overcome the business change or next need with just clicks of a mouse.

Omnna ERP

Omnna ERP is a cloud-based ERP that allows all sizes of business to control processes for the point of sale, supply chain lifecycle, customer relationship management, warehousing, and more. This also provides further additional benefits to minimize your expenses while increasing your profitability and productivity.

Omnna gives overall solutions for inventory management, warehouse management, customer relationship management, back-office, invoicing, vendor management, point-of-sale, logistics, and sales order ops.

Rose Rocket

The transportation management software (TMS) platform of Rose Rocket supports any business to improve communications with systems, people who move freights, and customers.

Rose Rocket`s open platform makes it easy to connect to the software that operates your company.

However, its key features include track and trace shipment visibility, industry-leading customer and partner portals, driver mobile app, real-time reporting, invoicing and billing, and lastly, planning and dispatching modules.

Logistically

Logistically is a cloud-based TMS designed for brokers, shippers, and 3PLs of all sizes. Its features include order management, load management, scheduling, shipment management, billing and invoicing, routing, and so on.

Moreover, Logistically assist shippers to handle relationships with customers and control costs. Its tracking application and real-time visibility let users to keep track of their cargos. When the goods are off schedule, it also sends alerts or notifications to users.

ShippersEdge

As a cloud-based transportation management solution (TMS), ShippersEdge focuses on managing shipping logistics. It helps users take control of their shipments, manage multiple carriers, and submit claims.

ShippersEdge can help companies control costs and save time. It accommodates shipping industries like restaurant equipment and supplies, 3PL, paper products, and building materials.

2Ship

2Ship is also a cloud-based transportation management solution designed for small businesses, home offices, distribution, and enterprise centers for 3PL firms. Its features include bills of lading, import and export, warehouse management, shipment tracking, and more.

2Ship provides solutions for users to keep track of their cargos, check delivery performance, export to excel, and search particular shipments.

UROUTE

As one of the transportation management solution providers, UROUTE designed to consolidate the link between carriers and shippers. Furthermore, this can be implemented at midsized and larger companies. It is more efficient and can help every business reduce costs.

UROUTE presents a complete suite of logistics tools including spot procurement, carrier management, RFQ development, appointment management, cube optimization, waterfall tendering, plus freight route, and weighted KPIs.

 BluJay Solutions

BluJay Solutions` transportation management serves cloud-based engagement, provides chain planning, settlement, and execution transportation.

Someway, BluJay Solutions are scalable and is perfect for a range of industries like automotive, pharmaceuticals, food & beverage, and building materials, and so forth.

Users of BluJay Solutions have access to reporting features and business intelligence data.

 NorthStar WMS

NorthStar WMS is created for small, midsize to large businesses since it is a cloud-based warehouse management system. It highly offers food processing, wholesale distribution, supply chain industries, manufacturing, and e-commerce industries.

Main features of NorthStar WMS include work order management, order tracking, inventory management, cycle counting, document reporting/ management, and kitting.

NorthStar WMS offers pack, ship, and pick capabilities and can connect with professional carriers like USPS, FedEx, Stamps.com, and UPS.

 Kuebix TMS

One of the Trimble Company, Kuebix TMS is also known as cloud-based TMS. It is designed for carriers and shippers involved in outbound and inbound logistics.

Kuebix TMS also offers an integrated platform to book, track, and rate shipments. On the other side, users can have access to Kuebix TMS on their mobile devices to manage, create, and book shipments remotely.

 Trimble TMS

Was formerly known as TMW systems, Trimble TMS solutions help carrier industry from small, midsized, and large to keep their services and costs competitive while supplying essential value each day.

Trimble TMS helps companies with route optimization, load planning, fleet management, equipment management, and fleet maintenance, also in administrative functions including settlements, payroll, invoicing, critical integrations, and document management and accounting.

 FreightPOP

FreightPOP is one of the leading cloud-based solutions that helps different businesses control the whole freight shipping lifecycle through label printing, tracking of carriers in transit, and invoicing. Its key features are shipment tracking, warehouse management, air/ocean shipping, bills of lading, and export/import.

FreightPOP is designed for manufacturers, retailers, and distributors. It comes with a dashboard to schedule pick-up timings, streamline batch delivery, and display freight carriers over multiple locations.

 Chondrion

Chondrion`s cloud-based fulfillment suite and selling is designed to focus on automation. It offers an all-in-one solution which integrated popularly in advertising revenues, payment processors, shopping carts, carriers, marketplace, and more.

Chondrion is also capable of maintaining and creating distinct messaging for 3PL clients, a boundless number of brands, and corporate identities.

 FASCOR

FASCOR is well-known for providing transportation management software and warehouse management for distribution, manufacturing companies, and warehousing. It is designed to maximize accuracy, improve inventory accuracy, reduce labor requirements, and control costs.

FASCOR`s software helps in optimizing your resource scheduling, empowers your entire organization, and enhances productivity to serve better customer service. FASCOR`s technology can boost all sizes of companies.

Alpega TMS

As a provider of cloud-based and modular TMS, Alpega TMS helps carriers and logistics service providers to manage their logistics processes with cost-effectiveness and efficiency.

By using Alpega TMS, you can settle, optimize, plan, analyze, and execute the end-to-end transportation processes of your cargos. This helps you reduced overall freight spend and at the same time, increased capacity consumptions.

 JAGGAER ONE

JAGGAER ONE is one of the major cloud-based solutions. This can activate businesses to handle procedures related to sourcing, invoicing, eProcurement, contract management, and supply chain collaboration. It has the ability to help provide chain teams together with several stakeholders for performance feedback, delivery schedule, and material purchasing, etc.

Through using JAGGAER ONE, users can auto-replenish and track inventory levels over multiple settings, ensure compliance, and accomplish purchase request according to regulatory standards.

 HighJump Warehouse Advantage

HighJump Warehouse Advantage is designed to be fitted to companies` uncommon business practice. It is a process-based and adaptable warehouse management system (WMS). Because of its modular design, users can pick from a suite of applications to perfectly fit their needs. This solution is set up for companies of different industries like food and beverage, retail, third-party logistics, manufacturing, and CPG.

Users of HighJump Warehouse Advantage can have access via any web browser on any mobile device.

FreightPath

FreightPath is an all-inclusive transportation management software (TMS) and dispatches made for freight brokers, carriers, and trucking industries. It helps handle track & trace, dispatch, digital paperwork, and collaboration.

This solution also provides tools that help you remove the stress of miscommunication. It can also get your teamwork in an industrious manner to make sure your customers get the benefits they deserve.

Latitude WMS

Latitude WMS is one of the warehouse management solutions for wholesale and retail distributors of all business sizes. Its key features are performance metrics, cycle counting, WMS training, putaway, picking, and receiving.

Latitude WMS grants users with embedded support for voice and RF, real-time control over inventory status, the capability to handle branch operations and warehouse distribution centers.

With the help of Latitude WMS, users can to manifest processes for carrier shipments and make connected paperwork and labels. Users can have accessed with Latitude WMS on-premise or on the cloud.

Form.com

Form.com works as a field service solution that supplies tools that can optimize the workflow of traditional field service progress. It helps prevent miscommunications or issues by establishing an automated workflow. It also creates an effective and sleek way to facilitate and track field service motions.

This solution provides various modular plugins that surpass the system`s core practicality. These plugins are file upload, Geo-Location Mapping, calendars, calculations, barcode scanning, and sliders.

BlueCherry

BlueCherry is perfectly suitable for midsize to large apparel manufacturers while offering cloud-based and on-premise deployments. It is an enterprise resource planning (ERP) suite presenting modules for logistics, shop floor control, product lifecycle management (PLM), omnichannel planning, electronic and finance data interchange.

This solution has the ability to help users with product development, planning, logistics, sourcing, sales functions, and manufacturing.

Apprise

Apprise offers any company an enterprise resource management (ERP) and provides chain management solution designed for distributors, importers, and consumer goods manufacturers. It offers mobile apps for both Android and iOS devices, very appropriate for companies running internationally.

Apprise is a great software solution built to help you track, manage, and automate business processes, project revenue and costs, and general activities.

Manhattan TMS

As a hybrid supply chain management solution, Manhattan`s transportation management system (TMS) helps organizations address transportation optimization troubles. It provides a suite of tools such as execution and planning, yard management, logistics gateways, and fleet management.

The solution assists you to handle the freight settlement process by managing filing claims, automating payment processes, and invoices.

Manhattan`s TMS accommodates multiple industries like wholesale and retail, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, and consumer goods.

 Transplace TMS

Transplace TMS is a cloud-based and robust management software system built for all sizes of shippers. It can support all shippers which require optimized route plans and fast executions.

Transplace TMS operates with all operating systems. Key features include real-time visibility, Transplace Control Tower, shipment monitoring, service prediction, load consolidation and routing, business intelligence and reporting, carrier freight audit and payment, costs comparisons across modes, and mode and carrier selection.

Best Ship

The best ship software has many shipping options and features involved. It caters to all levels of order accomplishment including overnight, same day, standard, expedited, and 2-day.

This desktop solution presents reliability and speed while providing the flexibility that a company needs to boost its business. When using Best ship software no postage refunds and no prepay of postage.

FreightWise Logistics Cost Management

FreightWise is one of the logistics service provider proposing a cloud-based transportation management system (TMS). It is also cost management for small to midsized U.S companies, focusing on Parcel shipping and LTL.

Freightwise Logistics Cost Management integrates with eCommerce, WMS, ERP, and many other industrial systems. This can automate a robust pack and pick solution and ship processes.

Ramco Logistics

Ramco Logistics` platform serves as a cloud-based solution tailor-made for freight forwarders, express parcel service providers, and third-partyt logistics. This software helps to succeed key paint points such as operational costs, supply shortages, new compliance rules, the surge in demand, and limited resources.

The platform is backed with NextGen AI & ML features that help logistics service providers and distributors acquire new customers and at the same time, reduce costs.

Silver Bullet Technologies

This Silver bullet technology is one of the on-premise logistics solutions built for inland terminals, trucking companies, 3PLs, container freight stations, and shipping agencies. Silver Bullet`s key features include customer management, order management, inventory management, barcoding, container tracking, and LTL management.

The solution`s export and import modules assist users to automate their inbound freights management and logistics activities with air, trucking, and ocean carriers. These also allow its users to trace, handle and automate operations, billing routines, and customer service.

Ariba

Ariba more concentrates on streamlining source-to-pay operational procedures. This kind of software solution provides supply chain management solutions and e-procurement that enable small to large companies to achieve great digital transformation.

Through Ariba wise spend solutions, many businesses can connect business processes and incorporate comprehensive transaction data. This can guide employees to buy from the best suppliers and help reduce transactional spending.

Pirate Ship

As a major cloud-based shipping management solution, Pirate Ship helps growing businesses streamline and manage all processes connected to printing and purchasing of shipping labels. Pirate Ship`s centralized platform allows users to make USPS scan form through batches or labels and easily search shipments.

Major features of Pirate ship incorporate import/export, ground shipping, parcel shipping, air shipping, shipment tracking, and quotes/estimates. This also let shippers import eCommerce orders from WooCommerce, eBay, Cratejoy, Etsy, Shopify, and others.

 DiCentral

DiCentral is known as a cloud-based solution built purposely to help businesses handle the overall supply chain lifecycle by dropshipping, electronic data interchange, warehouse management, accounting, and more. Decentral’s software solution is perfect for distribution business, third-party logistics, e-commerce, automotive, IT, manufacturing, merchandising/retail, and other industries.

Prime Dicentral`s features include forecasting, data format translation, order fulfillment/tracking, multiple messaging formats, exception management, and EDI testing. Those companies using Dicentral software can automate processes for inventory control, manage transaction data, and product quality. This can enhance customer profitability and experience.

AscendTMS Logistics

AscendTMS Logistics is an SCM cloud-based solution designed for all sizes of businesses. Its included key features are accounting, load management, payment management, branch management, and finance management.

The solution`s load management functionality let users trace shipments, carriers, distances, and delivery date in the dashboard. AscendTMS Logistics` users can also track their load assignments` financials to determine the best productive ones.

Samsara

This cloud-based fleet management solution present features like trailer tracking, GPS tracking, dispatch and routing, reefer monitoring, dashboard camera, and many others. Samsara is built to help small to midsize fleet business managers track their fleets` physical locations. This can also help in monitoring their drivers` to keep complaints with regulations of FMCSA and ELD.

SAP Business One

Operating as integrated and modular ERP solution, SAP Business One is suitable for any small and mid-sized manufacturing industries, size accounting, distribution and retail industries.  This cloud-based platform integrates CRM, financials, operations, and sales management modules.

SAP Business One measure service management`s efficiency and manage inventory and MRP, manage the sales pipeline and track procurement. This has multi-lingual capabilities and also supports multi-currency transactions for any businesses that is running worldwide.

Finale Inventory

Finale Inventory is also cloud-based supply chain management solution and inventory built to help growing and mid-size businesses. It mainly proposes in purchasing, stock management, reporting functionalities within a suite and order management.

Finale Inventory allows its users to manage orders from e-commerce websites. At the same time, it offers integration with selling platforms, like Amazon and eBay.

AppointmentPlus

As the leading cloud-based scheduling tool, AppointmentPlus find suitable for all different sizes of industries. This also offers embeddable features and configurable appointment setting tools, calendar management, and a HIPAA-compliant appointment program.

While using AppointmentPlus, you can maintain and create individual calendars for your employees. It also enables users to create waiting lists, set available hours, and to book rooms.

JDEdwards EnterpriseOne

JDEdwards EnterpriseOne is an on-premise and cloud-based integrated ERP suite, helping small and large businesses such as distribution, consumer goods operations, and manufacturing. Its involved features are asset lifecycle management, workflow control, budgeting, and reporting.

Any real estate businesses can utilize the solution to control contracts and tenants, manage security deposits and recurring bills, and lastly, performs sales forecasting. You can have access to JDEdwards EnterpriseOne on your Android or iOS devices.

OptimoRoute

Helping small, midsized to large enterprises track scheduled deliveries, plan routes, and streamlining fleet operations, is what OptimoRoute is performing. This software platform allows its users to gain a deep intuitive understanding of organizational performance. This can also help you automatically generate reports and monitor employee performance remotely.

However, OptimoRoute is offering great mobile applications for both Android and iOS devices. These apps enable dispatchers to view canceled orders, send route maps to assigned drivers, and track delivery status.

Skubana

Skubana`s focus is to grow and monitor the profitability of inventory operations. The users of Skubana can concur data from every sales channel they are selling on, that includes big-box retailers, 3PLs, marketplaces, POS systems, warehouses, and so on. A business using Skubana has an entire overall objective which to strengthen software operations into one cloud-based tool.

Skubana`s major highlights are built-in FBA forecasting, automated purchasing, an open API, fast implementation times, consolidated order management, automated fulfillment logic, and powerful marketplace features.

LogiNext Mile

LogiNext Mile is a cloud-based transportation management solution (TMS) that let users to track vehicles and plan delivery routes. This solution is best for various industries such as pharmaceutical, insurance, manufacturing, banking, and retail.

The system also provides a map interface to trace the locations and activities of driver and communicate to them through push notifications. Additionally, it offers visualization tools that assist users to compare planned routes contrary to actual routes.

ShipMonk

ShipMonk was designed for e-commerce businesses, start-ups, crowdfunding campaigns, and subscription box enterprises. It is one cloud-based inventory management solution that features warehouse management, multi-channel management, reporting, kitting, barcoding, analytics, forecasting, and so on.

To help its users strategize, the solution provides them diversified B2B fulfillment capabilities, helping them execute and plan their retail fulfilment strategies.

SAP S/4HANA

SAP S/4HANA is an integrated ERP or enterprise resource planning software suite built for all kinds and sizes of businesses. The solution accommodates multiple verticals of industry, including retail, distribution, service, and manufacturing.

For the distribution process, SAP also suitable since it delivers management, tracking, reporting, analytics, collaboration, and reporting processes. Additionally, this also presents a business intelligence module, lets users create customizable reports.

Hybrent

Use Hybrent to purchase from all your vendors on both mobile and desktop devices. When you use Hybrent, you can edit and approve your purchase orders electronically to vendors. You can totally manage your orders and take the benefits of standard reports.

At Hybrent, you can also make custom reports for insights to create smarter purchasing conclusions. With access to Hybrent`s Knowledge Base, you can surely achieve an optimal supply chain!

 GoFrugal POS

GoFrugal POS is a hybrid POS (point of sale) that assists retailers over different industries, to automate financial transactions and handle their billing and distribution routines. This solution system can be deployed whether hosted or on-premise in the cloud.

The inventory management module of GoFrugal let users to make inventory reports, set up automated ordering, and fill orders for clients. Its users also have access to a principal customer database, which helps you track personal details, payment histories, and purchases.

Global Visibility Platform by IntelliTrans

Global Visibility Platform boost integrations with 3^rd party systems, which includes inventory management, ERP, GPS, TMS, ELD, and more. This is one of excellent supply chain management software built to help land, sea, and air freight forwarding businesses handle shipments. This platform incorporates yard and dock management systems, enabling enterprises to monitor warehouse activities and view in-transit shipments.

By using the solution, managers can get insights into operations using data visualization and alert tools.

Track-POD

Track-POD caters to enterprises over numerous industries including 3PL, logistics, distribution, parcel and food delivery, courier services, manufacturing, and more.

Key features of Track-POD consider safety management, visual communication, delivery management, proof of delivery, and vehicle routing and tracking. Track-POD`s users can check departure and arrival times for any sites. You can also use numerous analysis tools to create reports.

Teknowlogi TMS

Teknowlogi TMS is a leading pioneer of transportation management software (TMS). It offer an outstanding cloud-based solution that integrated Artificial Intelligence to supply consulting intelligence, logistics management, mobile intelligence, business intelligence, and integration intelligence in one platform.

This system involves integration capability with load boards, mobile tracking applications, and carriers. Nevertheless, Teknowlogi TMS always addressed each aspect of the shipment lifecycle, making the TMS best solution for 3PL enterprises, freight forwarders, freight brokers, asset-based carriers, and professional shippers.

VISCO – Distribution

VISCO was built particularly for distributors and importers which underpressure on plastics, chemical, wine and seafood. Additionally, it is a consolidated system with inventory management, procurement features, and warehouse management.

When issues arise while in the distribution process VISCO will immediately evaluate the issues. It also sent email alerts to the team member, so that management check the problem and find quick solution.

Research shows that most people don’t really understand what exactly an EORI number is, what it is used for, and whether or not they should apply for it.

The confusion iseven worse now that the UK has left the EU.

The affected traders have numerous questions. Now, what next?

Relax; I got you covered.

This article will shed more light on EORI.

It will answer all your questions and give you a clear understanding of the subject.

Stay tuned.

Define EORI Number

EORI is a term that stands for Economic Operators Registration and Identification number.

It is a must-have number plate used by businesses or individuals who import or export goods within and without the EU countries.

It is issued according to your business location.

Why you Need an EORI Number for your Business?

Here are some of the reasons why you need an EORI:

i. You need an EORI number irrespective of the means of transport you use. Whether it’s the sea, air, or freight.

Hence it acts as a delivery person in the transport of goods.

ii. To register a customs and temporary storage statement in the EU Member State.

iii. It is a requirement used to register and submit an entry (ENS) and exit (EXS)summary declaration.

iv. Itacts as a messenger who links the Custom Management System and international traders.

Can Companies Outside EU have EORI Number?

The answer is yes.

Companies outside the EU that are willing to trade internationally with EU countries for commercial purposes are required to have an EORI number.

EORI is required in every customs declaration document.

This document is then used by customs authorities to access imports and exports in and out of the countries respectively.

Apply for a relevant EORI number according to your location or business location.

History of EORI Number

This system was introduced in EU countries on 1^st July 2009.

Its purpose was to ease the process of record-keeping of goods getting in and out of EU countries.

EORI replaced Traders Unique Reference Number System(TURN).

TURN was a system that monitored international business shipments.

Traders have requested the European Commission to provide a numeration system that is distinctive and justifiable to everyone in the EU.

This has not yet happened. Maybe it will when EU countries merge into one state.

EORI is provided to customs authorities before the arrival or departure of goods entering or leaving the customs authorities.

Additionally, different customs authorities share your EORI information just in case your goods cross different customs areas in transit to the final destination.

How EORI Number Facilitates Trade within the EU

i. EORI has ensured smooth trade between the EU and other countries.

ii. It has created order in international trade.

iii. EORI has provided the EU with the necessary documentation needed by businesses such as customs declaration.

iv. It has ensured customs authorities in the EU identify with imports and exports to and from the countries.

v. Also, it has helped custom authorities to identify traders wishing to apply for postponed VAT accounting.

vi. It has been used as an identifier by a computerized custom system.

vii. EORI number has provided reliable paperwork for businesses that can be used for future references.

Besides, it has ensured custom security within the European territory.

viii. It has helped the customs authorities to monitor the circulation of goods.

How EORI Number compares to VAT Identification Number

There is a thin line between the EORI number and the VAT number. People mostly confuse the two.

Here is the reason why: EORI is basically an elongation of VAT.

Once you apply for an EORI number as a VAT registered business, HMRC links all your imports to your VAT.

For example, if your VAT is 9 digits it will be prefixed with two-letter codes of the issuing country ie‘GB ‘and suffixed with ‘000.’

In UK the EORI number is GB-9 VAT digits-000.

Ensure your custom agent correctly enters your import declaration because the import VAT is only refunded by the tax authorities if the EORI number mentioned is correct.

In case your imports are declared against your VAT linked EORI number, HMRC will assist you by sending you a C79 form.

The form is meant to help you reclaim your import VAT on your standard VAT return.

Recommended Format for EORI Number

An EORI number has two parts.

i. The country code of the issuing member state

ii. The code number unique to the member state.

There are two different formats of an EORI number;

i. Those for VAT registered businesses.

ii. Those for businesses that are not VAT registered.

EORI for VAT registered business consists of prefix ‘GB’ for example followed by the company VAT number then suffix ‘000.’

For instance, in the UK the EORI number begins with GB followed by 12 other digits according to the traders’ VAT then 000. Ie GB 111 222 333 000.

EORI for non VAT registered businesses comprises of a country code such as ‘GB’ followed by a unique number issued by HMRC.

Businesses and Individuals who need EORI Number

You can register for an EORI number as an individual or as a business.

Businesses and individuals that need EORI number include:

i. An individual or business established in the EU needs to obtain an EORI number for their national customs authorities before commencing customs activities in the EU.

ii. Any economic operator established outside the EU needs to be assigned an EORI number if they intend to lodge a customs declaration or an entry or exit declaration.

iii. Authorized economic operates also need to have an EORI number.

Anyone importing and exporting commercial goods with EU countries or moves goods from Northern Ireland needs an EORI number.

Note you may not need an EORI number if you are offering digital services or if your business moves goods between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland only.

However, you can apply for an EORI number just in case your business grows and there is a need to trade with countries outside the Republic of Ireland.

If your company is operating under a larger one, let the parent company do the application.

EORI number acts as an identification number in all customs procedures when they are exchanging information with the customs administrations.

Information you Need to Apply for EORI Number

You need the following documents to apply for an EORI number:

i. If you are a sole trader/proprietor, you need to provide your insurance number.

ii. Provide a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) for your business. If you are a sole proprietor, you can find this information on your tax returns.

iii. Provide the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code for your business. You can easily get the information in the Companies House register entry for your business.

iv. Provide Government ID and passport together with any mobile device you might have used to put together to complete two-factor authentication.

This could either be the one for your business or organization. It could also be your own if you are applying as an individual.

v. If your business is registered for UK VAT, you are required to provide a VAT number and the effective date of registration. You can check the details on the VAT registration certificate.

How to Apply for EORI Number

Application for an EORI number is a process. However, it is simpler than you think.

Before applying it’s worth noting that after BREXIT, you may need three types of EORIdepending on the kind of trade you do with the EU. They include;

i. Trade in Great Britain-If you are trading goods with EU countries, you need an EORI number that starts with GB.

Nonetheless, if your business deals with trade within Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, you may not require an EORI number.

ii. Business moving goods to and from Northern Ireland- If you are importing and exporting from Northern Ireland, you need a second EORI that starts with XI.

Remember before getting an EORI that starts with XI, you need to already have one starting with GB.

This involves whether you move goods between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

Or whether you are moving goods between Northern Ireland and outside non-EU countries.

iii. If your business gets custom decisions in EU countries, then you need an EORI number from customs authorities in EU countries where you request or submit your first declaration.

The application process differs in various EU countries.

In some countries, you are required to fill a form then send it via email (ancient right).

Nonetheless, in most countries, the process is done online.

All you need to do is to fill a form on the HMRC website.

There are three different ways of applying which depends on whether you are:

i. Anon VAT registered application form if you are exporting.

ii. A non VAT registered application form if you are importing.

iii. A VAT registered applicant.

The EU has not yet merged into one big state; hence EORI numbers differ from country to country.

EORI number is issued according to where you or your business is located.

There are different forms online.

You need to apply according to your circumstances.

Ensure you select the right one.

To apply for an EORI number, fill in an online form provided by HMRC using the Government Gateway account.

For example, in the UK you are required to fill in paperwork before getting an EORI number

Steps for obtaining an EORI number in the UK include:

i. Visit an EORI information page on the UK government website.

ii. Carefully select the form that suits you and answer correctly based on your location and business type.

iii. Submit the form online.

iv. You may receive an email within 3 working days

v. You can then use your EORI number or pass it forward to be used in the customs declaration.

Note there are several forms online you should choose to depend on whether you are applying an EORI number to complete customs declaration by yourself.

If you need to use CHIEF, NES, or NTC system or if you use it for courier or freight forwarding services to import or export.

The process of applying for an EORI might be easy and hard at the same time.

Easy if you have all the information required and you answer correctly.

For instance, you may be required to give information onthe shipment you are currently intending to clear in or out of the EU.

Hard if you don’t follow instructions; your application may be rejected.

How Long It Takes to get EORI Number After Successful Application

Time is money, right?

According to HMRC, after a successful application, you should receive your EORI number immediately.

In the real sense, you will receive it within three business days.

It’s worth noting that the estimated time might not be accurate.

Businesses are realizing the importance of EORI; thanks to the internet.

Hence the process may experience congestion due to many applications.

Therefore, it’s wise to apply for one as soon as possible.

Preferably a few weeks before shipment to avoid any inconveniences.

However, if the process takes more than a week, fill out the contact EORI team form online.

Go to queries and tick the box that says ‘it’s a query regarding a current EORI number application.

You can as well check the status of the application you have made online.

How to Verify EORI Number

Are you worried whether the information you filled in while applying for an EORI number is correct or whether your business already has an EORI number?

Well, worry no more because the EORI number validator got you covered.

Remember if your company is registered for VAT, it has already been issued with an EORI number.

You need not stress. However, you can check just to be sure.

Additionally, an EORI number has a lasting association with the company it is issued to.

So just in case you had one but forgot all about it, you won’t be issued a new one.

The issued EORI number will show up.

The EORI number issued is valid irrespective of how many transactions you make on imports and export of commodities.

Uses of EORI Number on Import and Export to Business

EORI number has numerous benefits on imports and exports.

They include;

i. It is basically a tracking method used by the EU to assess imports and exports getting and leaving the EU respectively.

ii. Ensures traders’ goods are safe by implementing any security measures necessary.

iii. It eases the process of identifying shipments by categorizing goods.

iv. Helps if you need to provide customs authorities with pre-arrival and pre-departure of your goods.

v. It is used by customs authorities when exchanging information with government departments and agencies.

vi. Also, it is used when the movement of goods involves custom procedures.

vii. Provides relevant statistics to the authorities in international trade.

viii. It helps to identify customs for import and export of goods outside the EU zone.

Can you have More than One EORI Number

The answer is yes.

While applying for an EORI number you may finally be relieved; huh am done. Sadly, that’s not the case.

As long as your company is established in more than one EU State, you will need a separate EORI number for each.

The more businesses you have in the different EU States the more EORI numbers you may need.

This may include businesses in landlocked countries or those that import goods through a port that is different from the EU state.

Number of Digits in EORI Number

An EORI number consists of an ISO country code from a member state which is usually two characters plus other additional digits.

The maximum number of digits is fifteen.

For example, an EORI number issued in Sweden consists of country code SE plus other 10 digits. I.e. SE5512345678.

The 10 digits’ is linked to your business registration number or personal identity if you are an individual.

For traders outside the EU applying for an EORI number in Sweden, the EORI is formed by SE plus 10 other digits starting with 502 0R302 that is if you have registered for VAT in Sweden.

For non- VAT operators use supplementary number SE plus other random digits.

Note the 2 digits’ supplementary number provided by the Swedish Customs is not part of the EORI.

It only adds to the business registration number or personal identification number for individuals.

In Dutch EORI number consists of prefix NL followed by 9 other digits.

The 9 digits are basically the company fiscal code.

For UK and EU, the prefix is GB followed by 12 other digits. In short, the total number of EORI digits differs in countries. However, the maximum number is 15 digits.

Cost of Applying for EORI Number

So how much do I need to apply for an EORI? Will I really afford it?

Guess what the application process is free.

Huh! Relieved right. Everyone loves a free deal so am sure you are.

So now that the process is free and fast, what is stopping you from getting an EORI number?

Go get it.

Why you need an EORI Number to Import from China

China is not a member of the EU so why do I need an EORI number while importing from them?

Yes, it is not.

Nonetheless, China is one of the World’s biggest economies.

It can manufacture large amounts of goods at an affordable price hence it’s the world’s largest exporter.

It is also UK’s third-largest partner, hence an EORI number is needed for the two countries to trade.

All businesses in the EU importing commercial goods from china needs an EORI number.

UK customs need an EORI number to keep records of imported and exported goods.

The number is also required when submitting an electronic export declaration, when submitting a commercial invoice and when the CHIEF system is being used.

You still need an EORI number even if you use a courier or freight forwarder.

Do Non-Business Entity Require EORI Number

Non-business entities do not require an EORI number to import or export goods from EU countries.

If you are importing or exporting goods for personal purposes could be a gift or any other personal product, you may not require an EORI number.

This applies especially to those who import goods temporarily then re-export them afterward.

In Sweden, citizens are required to provide personal identification number for transactions of import and exports if the value of the goods exceed 10000 SEK.

Non-citizens are required to produce their date of birth.

It worth noting that other individuals carrying custom trade activities must have an EORI number.

If the consignee or the exporter is an individual who is not an economic exporter, a national code PRIVA ‘Natural Person without EORI number’ is included on box 44 as additional information in custom declaration.

For the individuals who have no EORI number or Swedish ID, they are required to enter a country code followed by the date of birth.

Ie DE+19880903 (YYMMDD)

Impacts of BREXIT on EORI Number

BREXIT agreement between the UK and the EU came along with various effects:

i. EORI number post BREXIT biggest question is whether you need both UK and EU EORI numbers.

UK published a detailed guidance document ‘EORI mythbuster’ to share its perspective on the issue.

Not all businesses will need both UK and EU EORI number.

Your business may not need both EORI numbers if it only deals with import or export declaration in the UK.

Whereby the customer completing the equivalent declaration is on the EU side of the border.

If you are registered for UK VAT, the UK EORI number should be issued by HMRC. If not registered for UK VAT, you should register for UK EORI.

On the other hand, if your business deals with both export declaration as goods leave the UK and import declaration as goods are imported to the EU, you will need both UK and EU EORI number.

This applies to a situation where you are the importer on record in the EU and exported on record from the UK.

ii. Before BREXIT or at the end of the transition period, many businesses in the UK dint need to have an EORI number. This is because as a member of the EU, the UK enjoyed the benefits of free trade.

They only needed an EORI number while exporting from third countries (non-EU countries).

However, after BREXIT, the UK is required to have an EORI number to trade with the EU.

iii. The European Commission guidance published in March 2019, confirmed UK EORI number will not be valid in the EU post BREXIT.

The Commission advised businesses with UK EORI numbers to apply for relevant EU customs authority for an EU EORI number.

This is meant to be activated when the UK leaves the EU with no deal.

iv. In case there is no amicable agreement between the UK and the EU, BREXIT will affect French companies operating in the UK and British companies running in France.

Meaning for those French companies running in the UK, companies carrying imports and exports will be required to obtain a UK EORI number.

Equally, for those British companies operating in France, British EORI will no longer be valid within the EU.

Hence the affected companies will be expected to apply for an EORI in the first member state where they carry custom operations.

That is, they will be required to apply for an EORI number in France to be able to operate smoothly.

Whenever you’re importing from China to Europe, worry no more about all procedures during customs clearance.

Tj chinafreight will handle everything for you, contact us now for best rates on all freight forwarding services.

A ship comprise of invisible and visible structural parts made using steel and composite materials.

This guide will explore the different parts of ships found in all types of cargo vessels.

Types of Cargo Ships

There are a number of cargo vessels and means of shipping depending on sea freight cargo available.

Container Vessels

The design of these cargo ship types are for transporting freight inside containers.

They take care of majority of international dry-load shipping.

This type of ship uses gantry cranes to load and unload ISO containers.

It is presently the most popular mode of sea transport for shipping 20′, 40′ and 45′ standard containers.

You measure the carrying capacity of container ship in twenty foot equivalent unit (TEU).

A 1 TEU cargo container carries about 21,000 Kg of goods within it.

Though the size of most container used is 1x20ft, there exist also other larger and smaller container sizes.

This results in variation in actual containers numbers on the container vessel by +/- 250 cargo containers.

Bulk Vessels

The design of bulk vessels make them ideal for shipping dry cargo.

They are especially suitable for goods such as power sources including coal and ore, fertilizers, sugar, grains among other items.

They come in different sizes and designs to cater to a range of shipping requirements.

Different from other types of cargo ships that use cranes for loading and unloading, bulk vessels utilize a pump or conveyor.

These cargo vessels can carry about 200,000 DWT of load though they travel at a modestly lower speed.

Break Bulk Vessels

Breakbulk ships are ideal for transporting general cargo that otherwise needed individual loading in absence of an intermodal container.

These cargo ship types remain the backbone of sea freighting, carrying both liquid cargo and dry cargo.

They can ship cargoes such as bags of sugar, cement, or flour.

You can also use this type of cargo ship to transport palletized goods like paint, chemicals, and even timber.

Ro-Ro Vessels

Ro-Ro ships help in the transportation of wheeled freight such as excavators, trucks, buses, cars among others.

If the choice is available, you can equally employ the vessels in the carriage of certain project cargoes.

This is possible if you load the goods on mafi trailers or other wheeled modes.

There are two further classes of Ro-Ro vessels: Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTC) and Pure Car Carriers (PCC).

The names explicitly describe their purposes.

Multi-purpose Vessels

These type of ships are capable of shipping various cargo types all-in-one.

As hinted by the name, they are versatile vessels and utilized for several purposes.

Multipurpose vessels are the most common type of cargo ships.

This is due to the fact that they allow you to transport many types of cargo with a single vessel.

Therefore, there is no need of paying for specialty cargo vessels.

The cargo ship is particularly useful along some routes that need self-geared ships and lack shore handling facilities.

Tanker Vessels

The design of tanker vessels is specifically for transporting liquid cargo.

They are the best choice when you want to ship oil or chemicals.

Moreover, there exist crude oil carriers distinctly designed for the transportation of crude oil.

There are ultra large and very large crude oil carriers.

Conversely, chemical tanker vessels have various tanks to prevent the mixing of the different chemicals they are carrying.

Gas Carriers

These cargo vessels feature more complex technology to hold liquid gas.

They commonly fall in a similar class as oil tankers.

There are two broad categories of gas carriers which consist of Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) carrier and Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) carrier.

Main dissimilarity is technical because LPG carry gas at -50 degrees Celsius and 18 Kg/cm2 pressure while LNG at -170 degrees Celsius.

Moreover, LNGs are noticeable unique due to their massive spherical tanks on top of deck.

Reefer Vessel

Reefer cargo vessels have a design specifically meant for carrying cargo that you must freeze or control their temperature during shipment.

They are the best choice for transporting farm produce, some alcohol meat and fish.

Therefore, if your cargo is temperature-sensitive, then this type of cargo ship is the best selection for you.

Livestock Vessels

This a very sensitive kind of cargo vessel, because it carries live animals.

They are unique since the vessels have animals feeding zones.

Some livestock ships even have open-air corrals, though most have the corrals enclosed.

Different Parts of Ship and Their Function

Here are the basic ship parts that you need to know:

Bridge

At times referred to as a navigation bridge, it bridge represents the ship’s commanding station.

It is from here where you control the movement of ship by the help of navigational equipment.

The ship bridge controls main engine, vital deck machinery and navigation system of cargo ship.

The main functions commonly carried out in the bridge include:

• Controlling direction and speed (navigation)
• Monitoring sea conditions and weather
• Enabling internal and external communication

Monkey Island

This part of a ship refers to a kind of deck found at uppermost accessible ship height and just over the bridge.

Sometimes referred to as a flying bridge, it is an instrumental part of ship that navigation equipment such as:

• AIS Tx/Rx antennae
• VDR capsule
• Radar scanner(s) linked to radar mast
• Communication equipment gear
• Sat C/F77 Tx/Rx antennae
• Weather vane
• Several halyards attached to the yardarm for hoisting flags
• Mast leading to aft whistle of ship and navigation lights (‘Christmas Tree’)

Funnel

Also known as the stack, a funnel represents a chimney on a ship utilized to discharge boiler and engine smoke.

It helps in the safe release of exhaust gas generated inside the engine room to the external atmosphere.

This ship part allows you to easily move exhaust gas from the vessel preventing likely impedance to ship navigation.

Also, this is possible because of the inclination of the funnel toward the aft and forward movement of the marine vessel.

Bow

Bow refers to the foremost part of ship that cuts water through its edges as the vessel moves.

They are instrumental in enabling easy propulsion of ship.

There are three main types of ship bow including:

• Bulbous Bow

This is the common type of bow used in most marine vessels including cargo ships.

You can easily identify it by its unique protruding bulb-like shape just below the waterline.

• Inverted Bow

Inverted bow design has its section of bow and hull turned upside down similar to that of submarine featuring extended waterline.

• Axe Bow

This type of ship bow features vertical stem line hull construction and deep axe-like construction in front most segment of vessel.

Because of its design, axe bow helps in improving ship’s speed for similar power.

Hold

Ship hold describes the area where you keep the cargo.

In vessels that transport liquid products, the holds are in the form of tanks within which you carry the cargo.

This is why you refer to cargo ships carrying liquid as tankers.

Bow Thrusters

Bow thruster describes a propeller-like apparatus installed on both edges of ship’s bow.

It is instrumental in increasing ship maneuverability in congested waters at an extremely slow speed similar to that near ports/canals.

Accommodation

The accommodation section that houses the ship’s crews and lives.

This part of the ship features all amenities including crew cabins, offices, hospital, gym, gallery, common rooms, laundry, salon, recreation room, and laundry.

The accommodation also has a freshwater system, domestic refrigeration system, air conditioning system, garbage disposal system and sewage treatment plant.

Deck

Deck describes the floor of the hull structure of the ship.

The vessel can have several decks at different segments.

There are six main types of ship deck depending on its level and position:

• main deck
• upper deck
• weather deck
• lower deck
• poop deck
• Foredeck

Being an essential part of ship, deck carries the hull structure offering various ceiling floor to vessels.

Moreover, it gives floor and space for equipment and crew to stand and operate whilst guarding them against external weather.

Hull

The hull describes a ship’s watertight body which can be open or partly covered with deck.

It includes several watertight bulkheads and decks as the main transverse members.

Intermediate member of hull comprises of stringers, webs and girders.

Based on structural patterns, there can be longitudinal member used for reinforcement purpose.

Freeboard

Freeboard describes the distance from waterline to higher edge of deck/freeboard plating at margins of amidships.

The purpose of freeboard amongst parts a ship includes maintaining ships stability and preventing it from capsizing.

The classification society must approve minimum calculation of freeboard for the cargo ship.

Besides, the freeboard calculation serves an important purpose in defining the vessel’s load line marks.

The load line directly relates to the earning or cargo carrying capacity of the ship.

Engine Room

This is the ship’s power house found within the lowest deck aft of the vessel.

It carries essential machinery including:

• Main engine
• Fresh water generator
• Alternator (auxiliary engine)
• Air compressor
• Boiler
• Heat exchanger
• Shafting
• Purifier
• Calorifier
• Pumps
• Incinerator
• Workshop equipment among others.

The engine room serves the primary function of holding all the basic equipment and auxiliaries needed for various ship operations.

Deck House

Deck house is the part of ship represented by the house-like structure on upper deck.

Stem

This describes the foremost segment of ship’s bow.

There are two main types ship stem including plumb and raked stems.

Plumb stem is perpendicular to waterline while raked stem is inclined at a certain angle to waterline.

Stern

Stern refers to aft end structure, with its design ensuring low resistance, top propulsion efficiency and prevent vibrations.

This is the rearmost ship part which is instrumental in keeping the water out.

Typically, you will have the propellers and rudders hanged to this part of ship.

It can be have flat, sharp, tapered, or canoe-like shape to help in cutting water along its way.

Side Thrusters

Also known as tunnel thruster, side thrusters resemble a propeller and mounted on either edge of the vessel’s bow.

It assists in ship maneuvering under reduced speed in clogged waters close to canals or ports.

Side thrusters of ship affect the overall running cost of the vessel to a greater percentage.

You can power them either electrically or hydraulically.

Forecastle

This describes the foremost section of ship.

A forecastle is the foremost parts of ship.

It is part of the front section of the upper deck and does not exceed 7 percent of total length of deck.

It represents the part of ship often utilized for anchoring activity and maintaining or checking navigation lights mounted on foremast.

Deck Crane

These cranes are important parts of cargo ship and you will always find them mounted on deck.

Operated using an electric motor or at times hydraulically, deck cranes can lift up to 50 tones load.

Though not present in all ships, deck crane aid in cargo operation and cargo readjustment during shipping if necessary.

Moreover, you can equally use them for loading and unloading machinery, tools and hose from the cargo vessel.

Propeller

This is a mechanical apparatus having blades attached to a central shaft.

The blades spin, with the rotational energy transformed into pressure energy, which generates thrust needed for propulsion.

The propeller, shaft and engine together form propulsion unit.

Propeller ought to be made of materials such as aluminum, manganese, or bronze since they are outstanding corrosion-resistant.

Rudder

Rudder refers to a flat void structure contained within the aft of propeller.

It assists in steering the ship, and has steering gear system that controls the rudder movement.

Components of ship rudder comprise of rudder trunk, main rudder blade, moveable flap, rudder carrier bearing, hinge system, and links.

Further, there exist three types of rudder of ship including unbalanced type, semi-balanced type and balance type.

Rudder Pintles

This is a pin or bolt which you insert in a gudgeon to join the rudder to ship.

Modern ships utilize synthetic materials such as Teflon to make the bearings and sometimes stainless steel for liners.

Either scenario uses the water which submerges the bearing to lubricate it.

Paint Room

This is the part of ship used for handling and storing paint.

It has special features to take care of explosion and emission of chemical vapors and gases from the room.

The paint room of ship should have explosion proof lighting.

Moreover, it should have brackets to offer flexible paint handling and storage.

Emergency Generator Room

In this ship part is where you find emergency generator that supplies power for emergency loads if main electricity supply goes out.

Its location is above the uppermost deck, away from secondary and main machine and collision bulkhead.

The emergency generator features its specific switchboard within its surroundings.

It should be easy to operate and you can start it even at 0 degrees Celsius.

Ballast Tanks

These refer to compartments fabricated particularly to hold water, which is instrumental in ballasting and balancing the cargo ship.

Appropriate care should be given to ballast tanks to protect them against corrosion due to sea water.

Bunker Tanks

Bunker tank is where you store lube oils and fuel. They are separated from other parts of ship and located far from areas prone to ignition.

These is due to the fact that the tanks can catch fire easily because of their content.

Duct Keel

Duct keel describes a hollow structure comprising of two solid plates and longitudinal girder welded to create box type structure.

You will often find it in dual hull ships.

The duct keel of ship needs to offer a watertight passage through the length of vessel. It comprises of sounding pipe that helps in leakage detection.

Duct keel is a multi-purpose part of ship that performs functions including providing loads resistance, carrying oil pipes, ballast pipelines, water pipeline, among others.

Ship Cargo Gear

General cargo ships typically have deck cranes or derricks for loading and unloading of cargo without help.

Most cargo tankers dispense cargo using installed pumps and typically carry adequate cargo hose to link to receiving terminals.

Majority of tankers have cranes or derricks to lift the cargo hose.

However, most modern types of cargo ships lack capability to handle their cargoes.

They are able to load and unload the goods only with the assistance of specialized port equipment.

When mounted, ship cargo gear might comprise of traveling aerial gantry crane, rotating cranes, or derricks.

Majority of bulk carrier vessels are gearless though there are some with conveyor systems or derrick grabs for cargo handling.

Ro-Ro vessels load cargo utilizing ramps through bow, side ports, or stern.

However, in the situation of vehicles, train cars, and trailers, part of cargo gear system is vital to cargo itself.

If mounted and operable, the cargo gear part of ship can be of great importance during salvage operation.

Lightering operation is most efficient and cost-effective when carried out using the cargo gear of the ship.

Cranes and derricks installed in general cargo vessels help in loading salvage items and positioning them in their rightful place.

Overhead gantry cranes mounted on deck are specifically helpful for longitudinal shifting of weight for ground reaction, adjust trim or weight distribution.

Moreover, it is possible to shift the cranes for ease of operation.

King Post/Samson Post

It describes a heavy upright post that holds the cargo booms. Samson post sits on Keelson and holds the ship’s deck beams.

Cargo Hold

This is an enclosed area used to hold and store freight container or cargo.

Its position is below the ship deck and features holding capacity spanning from 20 to 200000 tons.

The primary function of this cargo ship part is to retain cargo during transportation.

Hatch Cover

Hatch cover is part of ship that prevents spoilage in cargo storage.

It is instrumental in making storage spaces water- and airtight, thus protecting the cargo from external conditions during voyage.

The hatch cover design changes based on the vessel type. However, it is a requirement to make it fast enough to offer quicker cargo handling operations.

Mast

Mast refers to vertical ship structure installed above bridge of ship and forward of forecastle towards bow of the vessel.

It is part of support platform for derrick and carries necessary equipment like navigation light, radars, and horn in foremast.

Moreover, the main mast of a ship also hoists the flag of vessel.

The material used to make this part of ship is high tensile steel having added rigidity depending on the derricks size it holds.

Bulkheads

These refer to vertical partition walls that subdivide the interior of ship into watertight compartments.

They minimize extent of flooding by water in the event of damage and give extra firmness to hull girder.

There are different types of bulkheads, which can be corrugated or flat including:

• After Peak Bulkhead

Bulkhead type which makes the forward margin of aft peak.

• Collision Bulkhead

This is the foremost primary transverse watertight bulkhead of ship.

It stretches from the hold bottom to forecastle deck or freeboard deck.

Its design enables collision bulkhead to restrain water from forward in the event of collision damage of bow.

• Corrugated Bulkheads

Bulkheads having corrugating plating hence doing away with the necessity for welded stiffeners.

• Engine Room Bulkhead

This refers to transverse bulkhead positioned either directly aft or forward of engine room of a ship.

• Removable/Portable Bulkhead

Steel structure utilized to separate an extended hold into partitioned sections.

• Strength Bulkhead

This type of bulkhead is a ship part that plays a role in the strength of cargo vessel.

• Swash Bulkhead

Transverse or longitudinal non-tight bulkhead fixed inside tank to minimize liquid surge when the ship pitches or rolls.

Consequently, this cargo ship part minimizes the liquid dynamic effect (sloshing forces) on surrounding structure.

A swash plate describes the plate employed for this purpose though not stretching to the tank bottom.

Girders

This describes the hollow or solid longitudinal part of a ship applied in construction of base of the cargo vessel.

There are two main types of girders of ship:

• Center Girders: Located above the keel. This is usually a single continuous piece which you must fasten to the keel using a continuous weld.
• Side girders: Spaced equivalent distances from the keel. They may be continuous or partitioned by floor segments (intercostal girders).

Girders should stretch as far as practical from forward to aft edge of the marine cargo vessel.

Keel

The keel refers to a member or sequence of members extending longitudinally that creates the structural ship base.

It normally corresponds to centerline of the vessel.

It is a key part of ship in giving longitudinal strength and effectively spreads local stresses during dry docking of ship.

The two main types of keels employed in shipbuilding are duct keel and flat keel.

Floors

These parts of ship comprise of cross members mounted at right angle to the girders and keel.

The three main types of ship floor include plate floor, solid floor and open/bracket floor.

Frames

These describe the vertical parts of ship that form the framing of upright part of ship hull.

The spacing and type of frame differ significantly based on construction of ship.

Transverse

Transverse is short form for “transverse stiffeners”, which differ from frames in 2 ways.

Unlike frames, transverses do not stretch to full compartment height.

Moreover, they have lesser thickness and strength in comparison to frames.

Depending on its position, there are three types of transverse consisting of deck transverse, inner bottom transverse and bottom transverse.

Deck Beams

These are transverse parts of ship that link the frames top ends, creating the transverse framing for ship deck.

Deck Girders

These refer to the longitudinal parts that together with the beams form the deck longitudinal framing.

Longitudinals

This is a general terminology for identifying any small longitudinal part of ship that you can use for various purposes.

The term specifically finds use in longitudinal framing.

Hull Plating

The hull plating refers to chain of steel plates that creates the watertight structure of the ship.

There are three key types of hull plating of ship comprising of:

• Deck Platingwhich describes the plate forming the primary ship deck.
• Shell Platingcreates the watertight exterior of the ship. Moreover, it counters vertical shear forces and play a role in longitudinal strength of your ship. The internal reinforcement using shell plating maybe both longitudinal and transverse.
• Bottom Plating are the parts of ship that create the watertight base of the marine vessel.

Both side shell plating and bottom plating comprise of a sequence of curved and flat steel plates butt-welded together.

‘Seams’ represent horizontal welded joints while ‘butts’ refer to vertical welded joints.

Bilge Plating

This ship part refers describes the longitudinal plating instrumental in linking bottom plating to side shell plating

Web Frames

These are oversized ship parts that substitute frame at specific locations on the cargo vessel.

Bracket

A general terminology that describes any part of ship utilized to link two members.

Beam Knee

Bracket found at the edge of deck beams which link the frame and beam to shell plating.

Pillar

Vertical members within a ship that link deck to base of ship, where you mount them between tween decks, particularly around hatches.

Pillars are quite massive and make cargo handling in holds complex.

You find these parts of ship mostly in general cargo ships for intermediate and upper deck support.

Pillars compensate for the strains due to water pressure stresses, dry docking, heavy weights and racking.

Bilge Keel

The main function of bilge keel of a ship is to aid damp the vessel’s rolling motion.

Other comparatively minor benefits of bilge keel are to enhance longitudinal strength and protection of bilge on grounding.

It is important to carefully position it on the ship to prevent extreme drag when the vessel is in motion.

Intercostal

Refers to longitudinal reinforcement part of the base structure of a ship, which binds athwartships floors together.

It is a steel girder employed as centerline intercostal in place of plate keel, stretching from forward of vessel to aft.

The alignment of side intercostal found on both sides of centerline is in appropriate space apart to ensure strength continuity.

Typically, you will have the side intercostal and centerline Centre line interspersed with auxiliary longitudinals.

However, they have smaller depth size and they make lesser strength parts of a ship.

Panting Beams

Athwartships steel members located forward of collision bulkhead, abaft the stem, in forepart of cargo ship.

The function of panting beams is to reinforce side plating of ship within the bow region to minimize in/out plates movement.

The movement of plates is due to increased pressure by sea water depth impacting the hull, as the vessel is pitching.

· Tank Side Bracket

An interlinking plate positioned between the frame and margin plate.

Its role is to reinforce the joint at the bilge turn on the path of double bottom structure.

· Panting Stringers

These describe horizontal steel plates that join the panting plates located at the edges of the ship.

· Tank Tops

The covering deck plates above double bottom structure. You will find them at the base of the cargo vessel’s holds.

They have a protective wood covering, which shields the tanks tops from heavy duty goods landed on them.

Anchoring System

Complete anchoring system of a ship comprises of:

i. Anchor

An anchor comprises of five key parts including:

• Tripping ring
• Shank
• Flute
• Crown
• Stack

A shank represents the fixed stem structure joined with flute by tripping pin going across the shank hole.

Collectively, these connecting framework together with stack form the anchor crowns.

Stack refers to a crossbar that aids in turning the anchor to help fluke go into the ground.

Fluke on the other hand is the anchor part thatdigs deep into water to keep the vessel grounded.

Anchor serves a crucial purpose in maneuvering of ship coupled with aiding in safe docking on high seas and at ports.

Anchor head gives the resistive forces instrumental in keeping the whole vessel in place.

ii. Chain Cable

Offers the weight needed to maintain the anchor horizontal while resting on seafloor or ocean bed.

iii. Chain Locker

This refers to a small section found below the windlass.

It is forward of collision bulkhead beneath main deck securing or storing anchor chain cables.

You store both aft and port anchor chains within the various locker subsections or inside starboard and port chain lockers.

Then, you fasten the chain to top structure or sides of chain locker.

iv. SpurlingPipe

This is a pipe connection to anchor windlass.

v. Hawse Pipe

The primary role of this part of ship is to lead the chain out of deck level to exterior of shell plating.

Hawse pipe construction should be sufficiently large to allow smooth running of chain in addition to providing secure anchor stowage.

vi. Anchor Lashing

The function of this part of anchor system of ship is to tightly fasten anchor if in stowed position.

vii. Windlass System

Anchor windlass assembly refers to mechanical device that assists in lowering and raising the anchor from the seafloor or ocean bed.

It incorporates a pulley system applied in moving massive weights in horizontal or vertical direction.

The key components of anchor windlass system of a ship include:

• Drum (storage)
• Drum (wrapping)
• Dog clutch
• Shaft
• Manual brake wheel
• Clutch lever
• Hydraulic brake
• Gypsy wheel
• Cable
• Gear
• Winch reel
• Anchor chain
• Control pedestrian
• Chain stopper
• Speed lever
• Riding powel
• Electric motor

Materials for Making Parts of Ship

The commonly used material for making cargo ship parts consist of:

Steel

This an exceptionally versatile shipbuilding material used extensively to make integral framework and parts of ship.

Steel is the most popular ship construction material due to its outstanding mechanical features and low cost.

However, weight of steel is one main disadvantage of using steel in shipbuilding.

For ship hull construction, you should use mild steel consisting of 0.15 to 0.23 percent carbon, and considerably high manganese content.

It is essential to keep phosphorus and sulfur contents in mild steel to a minimum (lower than 0.05 percent).

This because high phosphorus and sulfur contents affect the welding characteristics of the steel.

Moreover, cracks and the like may form easily during process of rolling when the steel has high sulfur content.

High Tensile Steels having higher strength compared to mild steel find application in more stressed locations of cargo ships.

Further, larger tankers normally use them for the bottom and deck regions.

This type of steel reduces scantlings of the ship structural parts, making it beneficial for both owner and shipbuilder.

Some of the key parts of ship made using steel comprise of:

• Main deck plating
• Bottom plating
• Thickness stringer plate
• Keel
• Sheer strake
• Longitudinal bulkheads upper strake
• Rounded gunwales
• Deck strake in the way of the longitudinal bulkheads
• Bilge strake

You can fabricate crosstrees, mast tables among other ship parts using welded steel sections and plates.

As a general rule, derrick booms consist of welded seamless tubular steel length.

Aluminum Alloys

The three main advantages of Aluminum alloys in fabrication of parts of ship over mild steel include:

i. Aluminum is lighter in comparison to mild steel and using it can save you about 60 percent of steel structure weight. For cargo ships, this is an important benefit for raising cargo carrying capacity of the vessel.

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Freight forwarder refers to a company or individual that conducts services of receiving goods and shipping them on behalf of other companies or individuals.

The purpose of this guide is to elaborate the various functions, types, benefits, and responsibilities of freight forwarders, among other features.

It will grant you a clear understanding of when you want to do business with freight forwarders.

Responsibility of Freight Forwarder when Shipping from China

Responsibilities of Freight Forwarder when Shipping from China include:

• The freight forwarder’s primary responsibility is to plan for cargo movement from China to its destination point.
• Freight forwarders prepare and process import documents required for international freight forwarding.
• They are responsible for coordinating communication with the companies participating in the international freight forwarding process.
• Reviewing and making documentation ready such as commercial invoice and bills of lading.

Responsibilities of Freight Forwarder Specified by International Conventions include:

• Providing CMR insurance that will cover the entire transportation period.
• Notifying the parties involved before the transportation process commences.
• When forwarding dangerous cargo, it is important for freight forwarders to comply with the provisions of ADR convention.
• They should comply with requirements for transport of goods that are oversized in locations through which their forwarding services are located.
• Making price quotations ready.
• Giving information about freight prices, cost of exceptional documents charges at the port, insurance, and cost of handling goods.
• Advising on the best packaging for goods, which will ensure that they are not damaged in transit.

Responsibilities of Freight Forwarder in International Road Freight Forwarding using Automobile Transport Include:

• Providing valid insurance for the vehicles to be used in transportation
• Planning for efficient transportation with their trucks or subcontractors’ vehicles.
• Paying road tolls and providing all necessary licensing authorization.
• Ensuring that the appropriate transportation means with adequate load capacity is used.
• Giving information daily regarding the vehicle’s location using the latest technology in location systems.
• Appropriate and swift notice if there is any deviation from the route and if you should incur any cost.

Responsibilities of Freight Forwarder Regarding Loading and Unloading include:

• Provision of written notification about the expected date that the cargo will reach its destination. This information should be not later than a day before the arrival day of the shipment.
• Compliance with the timeline for loading and unloading.

Responsibilities of a Freight Forwarder for Claims for Incurred Damages include:

• Giving information and documents certifying the compliance to deadlines.
• Presentation of information that states adherence to the timelines of transportation of the cargo.

How Freight Forwarder compare to Customs Broker

• Freight forwarder refers to a company that conducts services of receiving goods and shipping them on behalf of other companies.

They are experts in the supply chain, and they concentrate on the logistics process and transportation of cargo.

• On the other hand, a Customs broker is a private individual, corporation, or association regulated, licensed, and regulated by the government to assist importers and exporters meet government requirements.
• Freight forwarder term is wide-ranging, whereas a custom broker in particular.
• Many freight forwarders can easily carry out custom brokers’ functions, but not every custom broker can carry out freight forwarders’ tasks.
• In an export transaction, custom brokers only focus on the import side, whereas freight forwarder focuses on both the import and export sides.
• Freight forwarders of an exporter can work in conjunction with a customs broker to facilitate issues within an export transaction.

Difference between China Sourcing Agent and China Freight Forwarder

• Freight forwarder refers to a company or person that plans and organizes for shipment for individuals or companies to a final destination.

The China sourcing agent acts as a go-between you and the manufacturer when you have no time to visit China to meet with the suppliers on your own.

• A freight forwarder’s primary purpose to their clients is to organize cargo from the manufacturer to the final destination.

Sourcing agents’ primary objective is to assist clients with locating sources and manufacturers in china.

• Sourcing agents require knowledge of the Chinese language to transact on their client’s behalf with the manufacturers.

On the other hand, freight forwarders do not necessarily require multiple language know-how as their primary purpose is cargo transportation.

• Freight forwarders enter a contact, mostly long-term, with the client, while sourcing agents are legal entities in China.
• A sourcing agent in China is well informed on the business environment, including the purchasing cost, quality, and delivery time.

A freight forwarder is well-versed in the logistics process and will help you ship your products with so much ease to your specified destination.

• Using freight forwarders will enable you to focus on your business as they take care of complex transport and customs procedures.

Specialization of sourcing agents in your trading area may help you plan to expand or launch new products.

How Freight Forwarders Work

Freight forwarders organize and facilitate goods’ shipment to the destination using either railway freight, freight air, or ocean freight.

It is essential to have all the necessary information about freight forwarders if you participate in international business to avoid being intimidated.

They work with several transportation services and manage documentation used in the import and export process.

Freight forwarders help clients receive effective and efficient transportation services by acting as middlemen.

It is essential to choose a well-established freight forwarder who is reliable.

Such freight forwarders have experience and larger network for seamless shipping process.

Experienced freight forwarders are also able to solve challenges that might be encountered in the logistics process.

You should ensure that the documents for transporting the cargo are completed before entrusting your shipment to a freight forwarder.

Popular Types of Freight Forwarding Services

Some of the popular freight forwarding services include:

• Customs clearance
• Supplying cargo Insurance
• Packing
• International export and import documentation
• Inventory management
• Storage
• Consolidating freight
• Warehousing

Benefits of Working with Freight Forwarder when Importing from China

Some of the benefits of working with freight forwarder include:

• Have a thorough knowledge of cargo movement over the border, and will ensure efficiency.
• Experienced in all modes of transport; therefore, they can choose an appropriate model that suits the client’s cargo.
• Technology versed freight forwarders can provide you with instant quotes.
• Able to use their contract to book cargo with the shipping line as per your requirement.
• They enable you to focus on your business as they take care of complex transport and customs procedures.
• Freight forwarders will help you move the shipment from China to your location in a smooth manner.
• Freight forwarders’ expertise in China’s logistics process will enable them to easily contract airlines, shipping lines, and haulers on your behalf and negotiate freight rates.
• Cargo passage through the series of processes and regulations required by different countries will be easier for you when you use freight forwarders.
• Freight forwarders will effectively meet handling unprojected objects like delayed goods.
• Ensuring that your shipment is insured from loss or damage as they supply insurance.
• They leverage their buying power to reduce transport costs.
• Cost savings: they can negotiate costs due to the large number of containers shipped each day.
• Contract free: freight forwarders do not work with binding agreements. Thus, they have the freedom to deal with anyone they want.
• Saving you money by ensuring the goods arrive at your specific destinations.
• Assistance in packaging, warehouse customs, and any other shipping requirements.
• All big freight forwarders, in most cases, have their warehouses where they can arrange storage of customer’s cargo.

Depending on the region where you’re shipping good from, here is a List of all International Freight Forwarders.

But when it comes to shipping from China, Tj chinafreight is your trusted freight forwarder.

Certifications required to be a Freight Forwarder in China

Freight forwarders require operating within specific legalities, standards, and regulations.

Some of the certifications needed to be a freight forwarder in China include:

Authorized Economic Operator (AEO)

AEO has point missions for international trade, which include:

• Ensuring a basis for legitimate trade.
• Reinforcement of safety and security.
• Standardization of the applications of custom controls.
• Provision of an electronic environment.

AEO ensures that freight forwarders are bound by anti-smuggling measures and measures to prevent terrorist threats and people trafficking.

When a freight forwarder has an AEO status, they portray to clients that they are trustworthy and reliable.

ISO 90001:2015

Continuous business improvement and being at the peak of meeting ISO 9001:2015 enables freight forwarders to attract potential partners.

This certification will ensure the following factors:

• Continuous improvement: freight forwarder’s business partners are assured that they are working with a proactive partner.
• Leadership: the freight forwarder’s management strives to meet their standards and set new ones to be achieved.
• Integrated approach: this part of ISO 9001:2015 standard ensures that management systems are well integrated to contribute to a responsive and streamlined business.
• Management of both risk and opportunity: opportunities need to be found and developed and weak areas identified, and solutions created.

Dangerous Goods Certificate

It makes the freight forwarder able to ship dangerous or hazardous goods as they are well educated on how to handle them.

Several hazardous goods can be highly reactive when they meet factors such as water, air, or other types of reagents.

Holding this kind of certification will open new opportunities to the freight forwarder when trading conditions are harsh.

How to Ship Imports from China using Freight Forwarder

Shipping imports from china using a freight forwarder entails the following process:

1) Importer Requests Quotes and Orders the Goods

First in line is when the importer places an order for the supplier’s goods.

The buyer requests suppliers for a quote, which in most cases is accompanied by a proforma invoice.

A proforma invoice provides an estimate, but this can be subject to change.

Once the quote has been approved, the buyer can place a purchase order.

A contract that states the details of the agreement, projected shipping date, points of origin and destination, and the goods’ prices is known as a purchase order.

2) Agreeing on Shipping Incoterms

After a purchase order is made to the goods’ supplier, the agreement should be governed by many incoterms.

The buyer and supplier, at this point, go ahead and put in place incoterms which are most appropriate to the transaction to be made.

The incoterms determine which of the contract parties should engage a freight forwarder in the shipping process’s specific stages.

EXW terms, which are the most used, state that the importer will be responsible for all the shipping process steps.

3) Engaging a Freight Forwarder

After a purchase order has been made and incoterm selected, the importer then identifies and arranges for a freight forwarder.

They will help to ship the goods from the point of origin to the end of destination.

4) Freight forwarder Arranges Export

After identifying a freight forwarder, they will arrange to collect goods by contacting the relevant supplier and planning to export the importer’s goods.

The process will entail preparing several critical documents required in the entire shipping process for customs purposes.

Some of the documents that the supplier will need to prepare to include:

• Packing list
• Certificate of origin
• Shipper’s letter of instruction
• Packing declaration
• Manufacturer’s declaration
• Dangerous goods form

Some of the documents that the seller will be required to prepare to include:

• Export declaration
• Permit to export or import prohibited goods
• Import declaration

5) Booking of Freight

As soon as all shipping documentation is ready, the freight forwarder books for export shipment.

Booking of freight should be made very early to avoid disappointing the importer, especially during peak seasons for shipping.

6) Goods to Travel to International Port or Depot

When the cargo is ready and well packed for shipment, the freight forwarder will organize for it to be transported to a depot or port where it should be shipped.

7) Goods Processed through Export Customs Clearance and Placed in Transit

Before the goods are dispatched from the port or depot, the freight forwarder processes them through custom clearance.

The documentation required by governing agencies is verified to ascertain that the goods being shipped comply with regulations and standards.

8) Goods Arrive in the Importer’s Country for Import Clearance

The importer’s goods undergo custom clearance once they reach their country destination.

9) Goods are Transported from the Port to the Buyer.

After the goods undergo custom clearance, the freight forwarder will organize them to be delivered to the final destination.

Difference between Freight Forwarding and Logistics

Freight forwarders organize and facilitate goods’ shipment to the final destination by using either railway freight, freight air, or ocean freight.

On the other hand, logistics companies are responsible for taking care of the physical movement of goods in the supply chain.

Freight forwarders have a lot of knowledge and experience concerning the shipment of goods, unlike logistics companies.

Freight forwarding companies have a partnership with several logistics companies, but they do not possess assets themselves.

On the other hand, logistics companies own all the assets such as fleets of trucks, planes, or boats.

Freight forwarders have access to all shipping routes and can organize for shipment across borders efficiently.

On the other hand, most logistics companies only possess transport modes but lack access to shipping routes.

How NVOCC Services compare to Freight Forwarding Services

Non-vessel operating common carrier (NVOCC) refers to a company that plans shipment for either corporations or individuals.

That is, they obtain goods from manufacturers to a final point of delivery, market, or customer.

NVOCC agree with shipping lines shipment of a given number of containers each year and sign a contract.

They help individuals and corporations cut on sales, staffing, and transportation costs.

Some of the differences between NVOCC and freight forwarding services include:

• Shipping documentation: freight forwarders give their Bill of lading, which is dependent on standardized documentation provided.

The Bill of lading supplied by NVOCC may not be dependent on any global standard.

• Containers: freight forwarders do not own most equipment used in the shipment of products, while NVOCC has and operates their containers’ fleet.
• Specific role: freight forwarders act as agents to their clients while NVOCC acts as middles men to their clients as they fulfill most of the work for them.

Cost of using Freight Forwarders in China

Before giving their shipping quotation, freight forwarders require the following information:

• Total cargo volume.
• Port of loading.
• Supplier incoterm.
• Total weight.
• Port of destination.
• Delivery incoterm.

The final cost you will pay a freight forwarder is determined after the manufacturing and packaging of the products.

At times, you can an estimate of the total cost.

Shipping cost estimates by freight forwarder will be based on the various stages of the shipping process, as shown below:

• Factory to port transportation: the cost of transporting an FCL 20’’ container ranges between $ 50 to $ 480 depending on the distance to be covered.
• China export clearance: export clearance documents that should be obtained by a freight forwarder range between $ 100 to $ 300.
• Freight cost depends on the location, weight destination, and cargo volume, and the price ranges between $ 30 to $ 40 per cubic meter.
• Insurance: most freight forwarders use an insurance rate of 0.2% * 1.1* cargo value.
• Port of destination charges: port charges range between $ 100 to $ 450.

The quotation offered by freight forwarders tends to be complicated and challenging to denote for someone not experienced in the logistics field.

The quote tends to be something like this:

• CFS charges: $69.30
• ENS fee exempt: $30.00
• Origin documentation fee: $30.00
• Re-weighting and VGM sending fee LCL: $15.00
• Freight: $277.20
• Export customs clearance fee: $23.00
• Destination other charges: $590.62
• Cargo insurance: $63.15

It is important to note that the freight cost is the only one which many consider.

Requesting a total DAP or DDU price based on weight, volume, the port of loading, the port of destination, and the final address point will minimize costs.

Freight Forwarding Documents need to Ship from China.

Before your shipment from China can reach your destination, you need to file proper documentation to the relevant authorities adequately.

Freight forwarding agents will help you achieve the required documentation.

But it’s essential you know what is needed.

Keeping track of your freight forwarding documentation will limit encountering a lot of mishaps along the way.

The purpose of freight forwarding documents when shipping from China includes:

• Identifies the goods you want to ship.
• Act as proof of ownership of goods.
• Allows you to prepare accordingly.
• They are documentary evidence for claiming compensation.
• Confirms the delivery of goods in perfect condition.
• Respects the contract of carriage.

Some of the main elements of freight forwarding documents include:

• Date of issue.
• Description of merchandise.
• Volume and weight of cargo.
• Payment terms.
• Corresponding signatures.
• Notices of the shipping duration.

The following are some of the essential documents required in shipping from China:

Commercial Invoice

It is a formal note for payment and is used in customs to declare that the goods are exported across international borders.

The exporter prepares this invoice.

Some sellers might want to pay fewer taxes to escape some formalities.

If the commercial invoice is checked carefully, and this is established, might your goods be withheld, and you may suffer losses.

Information contained in the commercial invoice includes:

• Description of goods.
• Tax identification numbers of both seller and buyer and their information.
• HS code.
• Currency to be used.
• Exportation date.
• The number of bills of lading.
• Instructions for payment.
• The destination of the goods.
• Delivery terms.

Bill of Lading (B/L, BOL)

The Bill of landing is a document that will give you details of a shipment of merchandise.

It states the goods’ title and requires the freight forwarder to release the cargo in a specified port.

The Bill of landing is issued to you by the shipping company, and you can use it as proof of shipment for insurance companies and customs.

You can also deliver it to the bank as proof so that the seller can execute the letter of credit.

This document can also be sent to you as the buyer to pay off the contract.

The various types of lading documents include:

• Inland bill of lading
• Ocean bill of lading
• Airway bill of lading

Packing List

A shipping company issued a packing list that will show you all goods shipped and the packing information.

The importance of a shipping list in the shipping process includes:

• It informs all the parties involved in the importation process about the contents of the baggage.
• When the buyer confirms the number of goods received, it can be used as a guide.
• The packing list is essential in booking space for shipping goods with international carriers.
• The details in the packing list make it possible to obtain a certificate of origin.
• Serves as proof for an inland bill of lading.

Information provided in the packing list includes:

• Each package’s quantity.
• The number of commercial invoices.
• A detailed description of each package.
• Delivery destination.
• Contact address of the Consignee.
• Details and contact of the shipper.

Pro Forma Invoice

Proforma invoice gives you all the essential information about the shipment: how many goods are shipped, the features and dimensions of the goods.

This invoice also contains the final pricing of the goods, which helps you make the final purchasing decision.

A Proforma invoice is not a valid invoice but is viewed as a legally binding agreement.

The exporter of the goods prepares it.

Certificate of Origin

The certificate of origin will help you prove that the goods in the shipment have been wholly obtained, produced, manufactured, or processed in a particular country.

This document is provided to you by the exporter.

Situations that you may need the certificate of origin include:

• When an importer needs it
• During the shipping process, when customs order it.
• To meet the country’s requirements.

Information that must be stated in a certificate of origin include:

• Mode of transport
• HS code about customs declaration.
• Exporter details.
• Number, quantity, and the packages type.
• The number of the certificate.
• Invoice number and date.

There are two types of certificates of origin, namely:

• A non-preferential certificate of origin specifies where they processed the goods, but the goods do not qualify for exceptional treatment.
• Preferential certificate of origin: this will state the manufactured goods’ location with some trade agreement with your country.

For example, when you are trading within the Commonwealth of Nations.

Import/Export Declaration

Import/ Export declaration is a document prepared by either you or the exporter, and you will be required to submit it to the customs office.

The form of this declaration will be different depending on the requirements of a particular customs office.

You may find the samples online for your perusal.

CE Certificate

CE certificate helps you prove that the goods are compliant with EU laws and directives, usually concerning health and safety.

This certificate is obtained by notified bodies, which you can access online.

You must note that you will not require this document in every case as sometimes the manufacturer of the goods can self-certify them.

In other cases, you may require an independent quality checking procedure.

Certificate of Manufacture

Certificate of manufacture is a document used by the exporter to communicate to the buyer the goods are ready for ordering.

Besides, it also indicates that the goods are of the right quality and adhere to required standards.

Information contained in the certificate of manufacture includes:

• Product name.
• The date on which the manufacturer got the product.
• Name and signature of the inspector of quality control.
• Quality and quantity of goods.
• Batch number.
• Output number.
• Amount charged on the product and applicable duty.
• Date of signing.

Inspection Certificate

An inspection certificate is an essential requirement when shipping goods of high value as it proves that they are of good quality as specified.

Some of the benefits of getting an inspection certificate include:

• It gives assurance about the quality of the goods to be shipped.
• Provides evidence through a third party. And under the letter of the credit transaction.

Goods Insurance Certificate

Goods insurance certificate provides information on:

• Policy number.
• Premium amounts.
• Liability of the freight forwarder to third parties
• Contact information of the settlement agents
• Validity period.
• Coverage limit.
• Circumstances for compensation.
• Shipping information.
• Details of the policyholder.
• The process to follow in case of a loss.

Dangerous Goods Certificate

This is a certificate used for goods that might be a risk to the health, safety, and environment.

It must be completed and signed by well trained and experienced personnel.

Role of 3PLs in Freight Forwarding

3PL (third party logistics) refers to a company that allows you to outsource logistics functions from warehousing up to delivery and grants you the chance to focus on other parts of the business.

Some of the logistics services covered by 3PL include:

• Transportation
• Warehousing
• Picking
• Packing
• Inventory forecasting.
• Order fulfillment.
• Freight forwarding.

The role of 3PL in freight forwarding entails:

• 3PL oversees all the client’s logistics operations and supply chain.
• They assist in picking, managing inventory, packing, order management, processing and reporting, distribution, shipping, and return logistics.
• Ensuring domestic and international transport.
• Warehousing of cargo.
• Customer brokerage.

How to Find Reliable Freight Forwarder in China

Finding a reliable freight forwarder is very important in the overall process.

The following steps are essential in obtaining a reliable freight forwarder:

Knowing the Type of Freight Forwarder, you need

Freight forwarders function in different categories, and so the first essential step is finding one that is suited for your kind of business.

Choosing the right type of freight forwarder will depend on:

• The type of goods that you require.
• Transportation requirements.
• Mandatory handling requirements if the goods are delicate.
• Storage requirements.

Based on the above requirements, you can choose the most suitable freight forwarder.

For example, global freight forwarder, low-cost freight forwarder, and consultative freight forwarder.

Evaluating the Forwarders Location

After fin

Factory audit refers to a standardized process that is put in place by quality managers.

It establishes if a supplier conforms to the company’s required standards in providing services and products of high quality.

The purpose of this guide is to give you a clear understanding of how a factory audit works and the importance of a factory audit.

It also involves various factors surrounding factory audit processes and types of factory audits.

How Factory Audit Works

The last step in selecting a supplier is approving the factory where production will take.

The aim of a factory audit is to ensure that the factory audited can manufacture or produce quality products in the right quantities and at the right time.

It is important to ensure that the factory audits are done regularly.

This ensures that the factory gets to improve its systems over time.

The way a factory audit works includes:

• Identification: search potential suppliers on directories and trade shows.
• Screening by questionnaire: down to a shortlist of about three to five candidates.
• We are conducting background checks and in-depth audits through screening by verification.
• Documents verification: once screening has been done, the auditor conducts a verification on financial information, the factory’s official licenses, and certifications.

The auditors also look for evidence of similar orders the factory had fulfilled earlier.

• Observation of the production area: it involves the definition of the factory’s product specialization and how the production line works.

It also involves a checklist on the factory’s facilities, human resources, machinery and production line.

• Verification of the quality system: this process involves comparing the factory’s’ quality system with the ISO9001 certification.

Activities such as materials usage, product processing, and final goods are also verified.

• Social compliance issues: evaluation of issues such as employees’ working conditions, fair wages, overtime, living conditions, environmental impacts among other issues of concern.
• Report preparation: finally, a report based on observations and subjective evaluation is prepared by the auditor.

Types of Factory Audits

Some of the common types of factory audits used include:

1. Manufacturing Audit

This type of factory audit aims to establish if a supplier can produce a product that conforms to your company’s specifications.

The supplier should take care of costly disruptions and prevent further cost interferences upon commencement of the production process.

Some of the benefits of manufacturing audit include:

• It gives assurance that the manufacturing facilities of your supplier are capable of meeting your product demands.
• Ensures alignment between supplier policies and your company’s policies leading to improved business.
• Identifies and controls potential risks in quality, operation, or ethics.
• Affirms on how the factory’s management is competent.

2. Ethical Audit

They help ensure continuous review on social accountability due to the increased pressure on companies being socially accountable.

It ensures that appropriate working conditions are being provided to both internal and external personnel.

Some of the benefits of the ethical audit include:

• Ensures human rights prices and fair working conditions.
• Assists in determining compliance with statutory requirements.
• Through the ethical audit, unauthorized subcontracting is prevented.
• Grants understanding of ethical compliance.
• You can build a cooperative relationship with suppliers.
• The brand image of your company will be improved, leading to customer loyalty.

3. Structural Audit

It is designed to assess the safety and integrity of your supplier’s premises, fire safety measures, codes, and conditions relevant, and structural integrity.

Some of the advantages of the structural audit include:

• Enhances safety working conditions.
• Protects employees’ health from danger.
• Reputation and brand image is maintained.
• Supply chain interruptions are prevented.
• Reviews and assures compliance with statutory requirements.

4. Environmental Audit

It helps to evaluate compliance with local regulations and laws by monitoring your supply chain’s environmental impact and improving it continuously.

Some of the benefits of the environmental audit include:

• Assurance that the company’s regulations compliance and international principles are being followed to the latter.
• Improvement of environmental performance.
• Able to get a clear frame of suppliers’ environmental impacts by combining audit reports with lab tests.
• Verifies conformity to international and local regulations for the protection of the environment.

5. Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) Audit

C-TPAT main focus is the improvement of security concerning terrorism of private organizations in supply chains.

Some of the benefits of C-TPAT include:

• Reinforces security in the supply chain.
• Ensures integrity of security activities.
• Verifies compliance with security practices.
• Improves border security.

6. Food Supplier Audit

This is a factory audit for food suppliers aimed at assessing manufacturing processes and food hygiene.

The main aim is to ensure food suppliers meet appropriate standards.

Some of the benefits of a food supplier audit include:

• Shows commitment to the safety of food.
• Increases the confidence of consumers.
• Improves the efficiency of operations.
• Ensures adherence to government requirements.

Purpose of Factory Audit

The purpose of the factory audit includes but not limited to:

• Verification of total capacities of production, manufacturing, technical capability, export experience, and quality management systems.
• Provision of all relevant information.
• Conducting a review of the factory’s certificates and qualifications.
• Reviewing product quality and certificates.
• Surveying various areas of the factory, such as cleanliness, facilities, workshop, and environment.
• Assessment of factory personnel in skill level, number of workers in the production process, and management.
• Assessment of factory machinery and equipment capability by looking at type, condition, quantity, and maintenance records.
• Checking of previous records of capabilities and production.
• Assessment of quality plans and records.

Basic Principles of Factory Auditing

Basic principles of factory auditing include:

• Planning: an auditor should organize himself to complete their work on time and in the desired quality.
• Honesty: an auditor should be free from any interest and should perform duties without biasness.
• Secrecy: the information acquired during the audit is kept private and not share with a third party without the client’s consent.
• Audit evidence: compliance and substantive procedures for collecting evidence should be adhered to by an auditor.
• Internal control systems: companies should ensure that they put in place adequate control systems as this will determine the duration and nature of the audit conducted.
• Skill and competence: You should conduct factory audits with trained expertise, and you should educate audit staff on auditing and legal issues.
• Others do work: an auditor has permission to rely on others’ work but should exercise due diligence during referencing.
• Working papers: an auditor should prepare and store well all paperwork obtained during the audit process.
• Legal framework: You should run all businesses following rules and regulations set in place by the legal framework.
• Audit report: an auditor has permission to speak their mind on a company’s financial statements.

Process of Auditing a Factory

The process of auditing a factory entails the following steps:

• Selection of audit type: it is essential to select the specific type of audit you want to use to meet your particular objectives.
• List tasks and perform audit: depending on the audit that you need, you will require to accurately measure a given area’s performance and effectiveness by completing specific tasks.
• Record findings in the audit report: you should have your auditors prepare a piece of comprehensive information once the whole process is complete.

It is essential to review each piece of information and discuss the listed issues in a meeting.

• Determine and conduct corrective action: use the reports obtained; you should determine disciplinary actions that could fix the listed issues of the company and sort it out.
• Schedule a follow-up audit: if, after corrective action, there are no further arising issues, you may close the audit.

If there are emerging additional matters, you may organize and schedule a follow-up audit.

How Factory Audits to Improve the Efficiency of Operations

By objectively conducting a review of your company’s policies and procedures, factory audits grant assurance that you perform what is required.

These processes are essential in reducing your risks.

By continuously monitoring and analyzing your processes, factory audits help identify ways to increase efficiency and effectiveness.

It allows your company to be independent in practices and not depend on other people.

Benefits of Factory Audit

Some of the benefits of factory audit include:

• Promote best practices for controls.
• Business improvements.
• Determines the adequacy of internal controls.
• Ensures a company’s compliance with policies and regulations in place.
• Provides objective insight.
• Identifies inefficiencies in operation and waste.
• Assesses responsible and efficient use of resources.
• Helps in the identification of potential cost-saving strategies.
• Assists the management in handling cross-functional and complex issues.
• Factory audit detects and prevents fraud.
• It is a basis for better planning and budgeting in an organization.

Different Types of Factory Auditor Opinions

An auditor opinion report refers to a letter that auditors attach to the final audit report that shows their opinion concerning the audit.

Audit opinions include:

• Unqualified opinion-clean report: it is the most often type of opinion given by auditors and indicates the auditor’s satisfaction with the company’s system.

The clean report comments are not adverse, and it does not provide any disclaimers on the audit process or clauses.

• Qualified opinion: it is issued when the auditor lacks confidence about some specific processes or transactions conducted by the company.

The most common reason for unqualified opinion is when the company fails to present its records with GAAP.

• Disclaimer opinion: it is issued if an auditor is distancing from giving any opinion concerning financial statements.

The most common reason for this is when an auditor feels like limitations for conducting a thorough audit were made by the company.

• Adverse opinion: it is offered if an auditor was not satisfied with the financial statements.

An adverse report is a clear indication that a company may have potential fraud and gross misstatements.

Using the ISO 9001 Audit Checklist to Conduct a Factory Audit

ISO 9001 audit refers to an objective process that is documented and systematic and is used to gather facts.

ISO 9001 audit checklist is an essential element in planning for an audit and is a requirement under ISO 9001 standards.

It comprises a series of questions obtained from quality management system standard requirements and any other company processes.

The checklist is created as part of the factory audit preparation and reviewed by the auditor using ISO 9001 requirements and process documentation stated by the company.

The inventory should adapt to the organization’s process.

The ISO 9001 clause for management states that management review should include:

• Information provided on audit results.
• Feedback from the customer.
• Product conformity.
• Process performance.
• Follow up actions done from previous reviews by management.
• Changes that could have an impact on the management system.
• Recommendations for improvement.

Using the ISO 9001 checklist to audit, auditors will base on the index provided to assess for evidence ascertaining that the process being audited conforms to its requirements.

It is also essential to use the ISO 9001 standard in situations where documentation is not available.

It should be conducted by basing the main focus on process inputs, outputs, suppliers, steps, and customers.

This is to ascertain that employees consistently understand them using the process available.

Another goal of using ISO 9001 is to analyze the entire process and confirm that the records available show that it meets its requirements.

Steps of Performing a Factory Audit

The steps of performing an audit include:

• I am receiving a vague factory audit assignment.
• Gathering information about a factory audit subject.
• Determination of factory audit criteria.
• Identification of inherent risks.
• Redefining of factory audit objectives and sub-objectives.
• Identification of controls and assessment of control risk.
• Choosing of methodologies.
• Budgeting of each methodology.
• Formalizing of the factory audit program
• Performing and documentation of factory audit methodologies.
• Conclusion of the entire factory audit process.
• Drafting of findings.
• Presenting a finalized report.

Tips for Passing Compliance Factory Audits

To pass a compliance factory audit, the following are a few tips companies can use:

• Carry out an internal factory audit using internal auditors.
• Ensure that all the factory employees observe compliance issues for accountability purposes.
• Ensure that you keep the previous audit reports and compliance certificates.
• Monitor the factory’s information systems and ensure compliance.
• Ensure that all the security protocols are followed to the later and upgrade them regularly.
• Always keep up with the latest regulation in the industry.
• Ensure that employee training on security, safety, and compliance policies is consistent and regular.
• Keep the factory’s documentation updated and within reach.

Difference between a Factory Audit and an Inspection

Some of the differences between factory audit and inspection include:

• Factory audits focus on what should be done, while inspections focus on why you should do it.
• A factory audit is a process, while inspection focuses on the action to be implemented.
• Factory audits are qualitative as they explore numerous complexities, while inspections are quantitative.
• Factory audits entail following a complicated process, while the inspections process is simple.
• Factory audits create recommendations to be reviewed while inspections make actions that are straight forward.

How to Prepare for a Factory Audit

Companies may prepare for a factory audit in the following way:

• Establishing a quality management system for the product manufactured.
• Preparation of documents to be checked on site.
• Conducting an internal audit.
• Management review of internal audit.
• Initiation of corrective actions.
• Addressing identified gaps.

Shortcomings of Factory Audits

Some of the shortcomings of factory audits include:

• Factory audits may not account for subsequent changes in practices.
• If they are poorly done, they can significantly affect companies that lack the intention of changing their practices.

Difference between Internal Factory Audit and External Factory Audit

While internal and external factory audit functions complement each other and need to work closely, they differ in focus areas.

They don’t conflict or compete, but they serve in achieving effective governance.

Some of the differences between the internal factory audit and external factory audit include:

• Internal factory audit analyzes and improves the controls and performance of an organization.

External factory audit considers compliance controls and finances and evaluates the risk and control landscape measures for strategy performance.

• Internal factory audit assesses organizational health and establishes practices supporting strategic objectives and risks that might impact goals.

External factory audit pays attention to whether the accounts of an organization present its financial performance accurately.

• An internal factory audit is ongoing and preventive and gives management suggestions and covers all risks and control processes.

External factory audit takes place annually or at least once every five years.

• Internal factory audit’s primary audience is the senior management, the board of directors, the audience committee, and other groups.

External factory audit’s audience comprises shareholders, investors, company members, customers, or regulators who are not part of the internal governance.

• Internal factory auditors may originate from a variety of academic backgrounds or professions.

External factory auditors are either government employees for compliance audits, certified accountants for financial audits, or compliance professionals.

Items Investigated during a Factory Audit.

Some of the items that will be inspected during a factory audit include:

• Survey of the factory profile. It includes personnel, equipment, certifications, organization structure, and facilities.
• Analyzing the production process and its capacity.
• Checking process control and quality assurance.
• Previous production records and company capabilities.
• Taking pictures of every aspect that portrays the “feeling” of the factory.

Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS)

GAAS refers to systematic guidelines used by auditors during the process of auditing a company.

GAAS serves as the basis for measuring the quality of audits conducted.

Importance of GAAS in a factory audit includes:

• They help ensure accuracy.
• Form a basis for consistency.
• Assist in verifying auditor’s actions and reports provided.

Some of the requirements for GAAS include:

• The auditor should have enough technical training and expertise to carry out the audit.
• An auditor should collect and understand all the company’s information to design an audit procedure that suits.
• The auditor must obtain sufficient, appropriate audit evidence through performing audit procedures.
• You must state a statement of financial statements’ availability as it is a requirement with generally accepted accounting principles.
• In any case, the principles have not been observed sufficiently; the auditor must identify such circumstances in the final report.
• Auditors’ reports should highlight scenarios where there is an insufficient informative disclosure in financial statements.

Factory Audit of Social Responsibility

Consistent news of corporate corruption has resulted in companies paying more attention to putting in place policies that reflect corporate social responsibility.

It has resulted in companies establishing a checklist to ensure that what they do is in line with excellent business etiquette standards.

The corporate social responsibility implemented by companies comprises of:

• Strategy and vision: comprise all aspects of an organization’s vision statements and strategic goals.
• One should always bring ac
• countability and oversight: destructive behaviors in the organization into administration and leaders held accountable for their practices.
• Risk identification: helps companies in determination of the level of risk encountered and measures to curb it.

Cost of Factory Audit in China

The factory audit price in China is about $199 per factory, all-inclusive.

Key Elements to Assess when Conducting a Factory Audit

You can use a Factory audit to assess your current providers and choose the best suppliers for business.

The key elements you should focus on when evaluating your supplier include:

• Productivity: the right supplier should always deliver on time.

It can be ascertained by evaluating the supplier’s production process, manufacturing equipment, machines, and workflows.

• Quality control: ascertain that your supplier provides your products’ desired quality by measuring their existing quality management systems.

A sound quality management system should have monitoring measures for helping in continuous improvement.

• Regulatory compliance: ensure that your supplier is compliant with the business requirement and have the necessary documentation to avoid putting your company at risk.

Ways in which you can Conduct Factory Audits

Factory audits in the following ways:

• On-site factory audits are conducted in full days, and the number of days will be determined by factors like complexity, risk, size, and the company’s nature.
• Small factory audits: this may be conducted through teleconferencing, web meetings, or by an electronic process of verification.
• In this way, self-factory audits can be requested by interested parties like customers to ascertain that you are meeting your requirements.

Factory Audit of Security

It is security measures put in place by governments and customs organizations.

The main aim of factory audits of security is to secure trade, protect against terrorist acts, and stop illegal trafficking.

Some of the benefits of factory audit of security include:

• Assists importers and suppliers to put together efforts through collaboration and the same industry platform
• Provides sufficient room for collecting information, analyzing data, and reporting to allow room for making an informed decision.
• It reduces audit fatigue.
• Enhances efficiency of the entire audit process.

Responsibilities of Factory Auditors

Some responsibilities of factory auditors include:

• Provision of an audit report: giving an audit report that reflects the accurate picture of financial statements and company affairs is the auditor’s primary responsibility.
• Reporting failure to maintain proper books of account: in case of this, it is a requirement the auditor express their opinion to the company’s management.
• Duty to report indictable offenses: if factory auditors discover that the company has committed indictable violations under its activities, they should inform.
• Exercising of professional integrity: factory auditors must exercise professional integrity in all their dealings.
• Collating, checking, and analyzing data on the spreadsheet.
• Examination of the company’s financial control systems and accounts.
• Ensuring the assets of the company are safeguarded.
• Making sure there is adherence to legislation, procedures, policies, and regulations.

Importance of Internal Factory Audit

An internal factory audit is essential, and its purpose is to keep the organization in compliance with legal frameworks and regulations.

Some reasons why internal factory audit is essential to include:

• Improves efficiency of operations: continuous analysis of policies and procedures will give you confidence in the direction the organization is headed to
• Provides objective insight: internal factory audits allow you to audit your work without having a conflict of interest.
• Protects assets and evaluates risks: this will help track and document any changes made to the surrounding environment and curb risks found.
• Assesses controls in an organization by analyzing the efficiency and effectiveness of operations.
• Ensures compliance with laws and regulations, which provides peace of mind as you are always ready for the next external audit.

What to do After an Internal Audit

After doing an internal audit:

• Hold an auditor meeting with the concerned parties and discuss what was missed and non-conformances.
• Issue the auditor report on time.
• Encourage auditees to implement corrective action against irregularities.
• Help and give guidance to parties responsible for completing corrective actions and set reasonable deadlines.
• Take feedback given by auditees and the perception of the audit team.

Difference between Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS)

Some of the differences between GAAP and GAAS include:

• GAAP ensures the use of some standards in preparation of financial statements of an organization.

While GAAS makes available a platform for the preparation of an audit report that is transparent and reliable

• GAAP entails a set of guidelines for an organization to base on a standard in preparing financial statements.

GAAS are auditing standards that are aimed at helping auditors conduct unbiased and transparent auditing.

• A famous GAAP example is International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

While famous GAAS are AICPA issued GAAS and International Auditing Standards (IAS).

• GAAP contains standards of accounting that companies should follow in preparation of financial statements.

GAAS provides standards used to evaluate the financial statements’ compliance to ascertain that they confer with necessary measures.

• In the timeline of preparing financial statements, GAAP comes into use before GAAS does because financial statements need to be prepared first before an evaluation on the same takes place.

Essential Questions to Ask Factory Auditors

Some of the crucial questions you should ask factory auditors include:

• In companies like yours, what activities are open to fraud? Auditors with expertise will highlight areas of potential risks and suggest measures to put in place to curb them.
• What are the industry risks that may have an impact on our financial reporting? Experienced auditors might be able to clarify based on similar companies.
• What are our key information technology risks, and how adequate are our controls? Auditors need to elaborate on the IT function, including the elimination of points of weakness.
• How do our accounting policies compare to our competitors? This issue may give room for the auditor to identify areas of improvement.
• What do you do when you identify a problem? It is essential to ascertain the cause of action an auditor will take after identifying a problem.

Before you start shipping from India to USA, read this guide.

It will help you save a lot of time and money when importing from India to the USA.

Let’s dive right in.

Key Players Involved in Shipping from India to the USA

When shipping goods from India to the USA, you are simply appending the value of the goods.

Since you cannot do it by yourself, you have to depend on other people to make the process a success.

Here are the main players in the shipping of goods from India to the United States of America.

Shipper

You will need the shipper who will provide the goods from India at a fee that you will pay.

There are various types of shippers who provide different types of goods and can perform different purposes.

Consignee

You are the consignee or the person who will deal with the shipment that comes from India to the USA.

You will choose the types of goods that you need from the shipper in India that you agree on terms with.

Freight Forwarder

You can also identify the freight forwarder as the logistics provider who controls the air or ship transport.

Freight forwarders help you with the movement of goods from India to the United States of America.

Shipping Line

You will also need a shipping line which is the company responsible for carrying the goods from India to USA.

You can either choose between the sea transport shipping line or air transport shipping line to import goods from India.

Process of Shipping Cargo from India to USA

When shipping your goods from India to the United States of America, there is a process that you will follow.

You may not undertake every process personally but you can organize and get other players to perform these functions.

Here are the details on the main steps you will perform either directly or indirectly to import goods from India.

Step One: Haulage of Exports

First, you will organize with the shipper of the goods to move the products from the factory or warehouse.

Depending on the location of the freight forwarders’ premises, your shipper can either use road or railway transport.

Apart from that, your shipper must also package the goods accordingly to avoid damages along the way.

Step Two: Customs Clearance of the Exports

As soon as your freight forwarder of choice receives the cargo, he will begin the export clearance process.

Here, your freight forwarder will organize the relevant documents that you need for the shipping of the goods.

After that, he or she will submit the documents to the relevant authorities for customs clearance of the cargo.

Apart from that, your freight forwarder will proceed to organize for the transport of the goods that you need.

He can either settle on air transport or sea transport depending on the type of goods you need to transport.

Step Three: Origin Handling

You will also proceed with the handling of the goods such as inspection processes to ascertain the type of goods.

Apart from that, the freight forwarder will ensure proper packaging of the cargo before loading it on the freight.

Step Four: Ocean or Air Freight

This is the process by which you will transport your cargo from India to the United States of America.

You will depend on your freight forwarder to organize for the mode of transporting the cargo from India.

You can either use air transport if you want fast delivery but at a higher cost.

On the other hand, you can opt for the cheaper ocean freights which will take longer for the goods to arrive.

In addition to the shipping cost, you will incur other charges such as exchange rates and currency adjustment factors.

Step Five: Customs Clearance of Imports

You can begin the process of clearing the goods as soon as you have word that it is a safe distance from arriving.

It involves providing the relevant details to the customs authorities in the USA via a customs broker.

As soon as your customs broker completes the clearance process, you will wait for the goods to arrive.

On arrival, the relevant authorities will unload the cargo, inspect the cargo and load it out of the port.

Step Six: Receiving of the Cargo

Finally, you will receive your cargo at the address of choice where you will unload it and inspect it.

In case of damages, you must take note of the damages and report it to the relevant authorities for inspection.

Prohibited Products to Ship from India to the USA

You have the freedom of choosing any type of goods that you want to ship from India to USA.

It is important to note that this freedom does not cover all the goods you may want to import from India.

In other words, there are particular goods that are prohibited from entering the United Stated of America.

Here is a list of the goods that you should NOT import from India to USA.

• Aerosols
• Dairy
• Fur
• Ivory
• Fresh Foods
• Animals
• Cash
• Nail Varnish
• Perfume
• Plants
• Tobacco
• Seed among other products

You can get in touch with the customs department in the United States of America to provide you with more details.

Top Courier Services to use when Shipping Cargo from India to USA

When shipping cargo from India to the USA, you can leave all the processes of handling to courier services.

There are numerous courier services who can handle your products from India to the USA.

Here are the main courier service providers who can handle your imports plus the rates.

DHL Courier Services

You can use DHL who are the leading eCommerce shippers to get your imports from India to USA on time.

You will pay between 1 and 5 US dollars for every 50 grams of cargo from India to the United States of America.

FedEx Courier Services

You can also use FedEx e-commerce to help in shipping your cargo from India to the United States of America.

There are three main types of shipping from the FedEx international branch which include:

i. FedEx International First Ecommerce Shipping

ii. Priority Ecommerce Shipping

iii. Economy Ecommerce Shipping

You will pay different rates for the above options ranging from 1 to 13 US dollars for every 50-gram package.

Shiprocket Courier Services

You can also opt for an eCommerce shipping option in India which has partnerships with FedEx and DHL among others.

Here, you will pay the rates that the eCommerce service will charge you regardless of the partnerships.

The rates of transporting your cargo via Shiprocket courier services will begin from as low as 1 US dollar for 50grams.

Aramex Courier Services

You can also opt for other world-renowned eCommerce service providers such as Aramex with a base in Dubai.

With Aramex, you can pay for the shipping services from as low as 9 US dollars for every 50 grams of cargo.

They also have other rates that will favor other small businesses such as startups to ensure proper trade.

Benefits of Using Courier Services for Shipping from India to USA

You may wonder why you need to use courier services to ship your goods from India to the USA.

Well, here are the benefits that you will enjoy when you decide to use courier services.

Door to Door Services

You should consider using courier services to transport your cargo since they deliver the goods all the way to your doorstep.

Hassle-Free Customs Clearance Process

You should also rest easy when dealing with courier services because you will not be dealing with customs clearance processes.

The courier service providers will help in the whole process of clearing your cargo with the customs departments.

Shipment Tracking

You will also relish the opportunity to track your cargo as it moves from India to the USA with the courier service providers.

They will provide you with the details on the position of your cargo as it moves from one point to another.

Flexible Payment Options

Paying for the transport of your cargo via courier services is also very easy as you can do it online.

Most of the courier services allow you to initiate online payment services through services such as PayPal.

Shipment of Different Goods

You can use the courier service to transport any type of cargo from India to the United States of America.

It is capable of moving goods as small as documents to other goods that are as big as manufacturing machines.

Competitive Pricing

You don’t have to pay a lot of money when shipping your cargo from India to the United States of America.

The prices are flexible and will depend on the type of goods that you are transporting from India to the USA.

Insurance Provision

You will not have to go through the payment of insurance services as the whole price is included in the prices.

Your courier service provider will include the cost of insurance in the total cost of shipping your cargo.

How to Calculate Cost of Shipping from India to the USA

When using the courier services, you will only pay the amount that the courier service provider quotes.

You can also use the cost calculator which most courier service providers use in the calculation of cost.

Here are the main details on how you can arrive at the total amount of money to pay.

• Enter the 6 digits pick up area pin code
• You will also enter the delivery area pin code
• You will also enter the weight of the cargo that you intend to ship

Finally, you will calculate the overall cost automatically and pay for the shipment of the goods.

Products you Ship from India to USA

You have the freedom of importing almost anything that you want from India to the United States of America.

You must also note that not everything that you want can pass through the boarders of the United States from India.

To avoid being a victim at the boarders of USA, here is a list of products that you can import from India.

• Food Items
• Electronics
• Parcels
• General and Highly Classified Documents
• Cargo
• Garments
• Artwork
• Unaccompanied or Overweight Baggage
• Sports Equipment
• Household Transfers

You will realize that the list is very long as the items you can import are very many.

Please get in touch with the customs department in USA to ensure that your goods can cross the border successfully.

Transit Time when Shipping from India to USA

When shipping from India, you can receive your goods within a few days or weeks depending on the mode of transport.

In case you are using express shipping, you can get your cargo within hours from India to the USA.

Sea freight is often slower and will take a couple of days at sea before you receive your cargo.

It is also important to look at the distance that the freight will cover when moving from different locations in India.

Here is a table that details the period it will take for a ship to send cargo from different locations in India to USA.

When using air freight, you will take a shorter time to get the cargo but spend more on transport.

Here is a table with the main time details on how to transport your cargo from India to the USA by air freight.

Ocean Freight Shipping from India to USA

You can opt for ocean freight which involves moving your cargo via the sea from India to the USA.

This is the cheapest mode of transport that you can use in comparison to air freight.

Despite the low cost, you will have to wait longer because it is very slow.

Apart from that, you will have to pack your cargo in LCL or FCL shipping containers before transport.

You must also consider the overall cost of insurance when paying for the ocean freights.

Air Freight Shipping from India to USA

You can also opt for air freight shipping which is the fastest mode of shipping your cargo.

You should, however, prepare to pay a higher amount of money because it is very expensive.

In addition to that, you can settle on different types of air freights when moving the cargo from India.

One of the fastest modes of air freight is express shipping where you can charter a plane to transport cargo.

In other words, you will not wait for other goods to be loaded on the plane which will transport your goods alone.

Cheapest Courier Services for Shipping Cargo from India to the USA

The cheapest courier service that you can use to transport your cargo from India to the USA is the ocean freight courier service.

You can enjoy rates as low as 1 dollar for every 50 grams of cargo that you carry from India to the USA.

Documents you need when Shipping from India to the USA

When shipping your cargo from India to USA, you must present various import documents to the customs departments.

Here is a list of all the documents that you must be ready to present to the customs departments.

• Proforma Invoice
• Commercial Invoice
• Packing List
• Certificates of Origin
• Shippers Letter of Instructions
• Bills of Lading
• Dangerous Goods Form
• Bank Draft

Incoterms to Use when Shipping from India to USA

During the shipping process, you should also choose particular incoterms that you will use for particular freights.

Here are the main incoterms that you will use in the process of shipping cargo from India to USA.

Group E Incoterms

You will use the group E incoterms during the departure of the goods from the ports in India to USA.

The main incoterm in this category is Ex Works or EXW where the sellers will transport the goods to the agreed location.

Group F Incoterms

You can also choose among the different incoterms in group F which involves main courage unpaid terms.

Here, you can choose from the three main incoterms including:

i. FCA – Free carrier

ii. FAS – Free Alongside Ship

iii. FOB – Free on Board

Group C Incoterms

Under group C incoterms, you can opt for the main carriage paid which has a variety of incoterms.

Here are the main incoterms that you can find within group C:

i. CFR – Cost and Freight to the main port of destination

ii. CIF – Cost, Insurance and Freight to the main port of destination

iii. CPT – Carriage Paid To all the way to the port of destination

iv. CIP – Carriage Insurance Paid all the way to the port of destination

Group D Incoterms

You can also refer to them as the arrival incoterms which have a couple of options that you can choose from.

Here are the main arrival incoterms that you will choose under group D incoterms.

i. DAF – Delivery at Frontier which is the location you will decide on.

ii. DES – Delivered Ex Ship which is the delivery to the port of destination

iii. DEQ – Delivery Ex-Quay which is delivered at the port of destination as well.

iv. DDU – Delivery Duty Unpaid which goes all the way to the port of destination.

v. DDP – Delivery Duty Paid all the way to the port of destination

Main Sea Ports in India

You should have knowledge of the different seaports in India where you can send your cargo from.

Here are the main seaports in India which can comfortably transport your cargo to the USA.

Hazira Sea Port

You can use the Hazira port when transporting your cargo from the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial corridor to the USA.

The types of cargo that you can import through this port include automobiles and liquid chemicals among others.

It has a UN/LOCODE of INHZR and has the capability of handling 500,000 TEU of containers annually.

Kolkata Sea Port

You can use Kolkata seaport which is the oldest operational port in India handling 650,000 containers per year.

It has 40 berths as well as 86 wharves which facilitate the exportation of cotton and leather to the USA.

The UN/LOCODE is INCCU and it is owned by the Kolkata Port Trust or the Indian Ministry of Shipping.

Tuticorin Sea Port

You can also refer to it as the V.O. Chidambaranar and has the 4^th largest capacity of container handling in India.

With a UN/LOCODE of INTUT it has an annual container volume of 560,000 TEU with 13 berths, 7 wharves, and 3 piers.

Port Pipavav

You can opt for port Pipavav with a UN/LOCODE of INPAV and annual capability of handling 880,000 TEUs.

It is closer to the busiest seaport in India thus having access to the busiest route in India.

Cochin Sea Port

This port is spread over two islands in India with a UN/LOCODE of INCOK and a capability of handling 400,000 TEUs.

It boasts of being the largest trans-shipment facility that you will use in India.

Apart from the above ports, you can also opt for other ports in India such as:

• Kattupalli Sea Port
• Krishanapatnam Sea Port
• Kandla Sea Port
• Nhava Sheva Sea Port
• Mundra Sea Port
• Chennai Sea Port
• Haldia Sea Port
• Visakhapatnam Sea Port

Ports of Arrival in USA for Shipping from India to the USA?

When using the sea or ocean freight, you can receive the goods at other various destinations in the USA.

Here are the main ports of destination where you can get your goods delivered from India.

Houston Sea Port

You can pick your cargo from the busiest seaport in the USA with a UN/LOCODE of USHOU.

It has the capability of handling 1.6 million TEU within a year where 15% of cargo comes from Asia.

Detroit Sea Ports

You can also opt for the Detroit seaports which hands. Liquid, general, and bulk cargo with UN/LOCODE of USDET.

It has the capability of handling a considerable number of containers annually from different locations such as India.

New Orleans Sea Port

You can use this port which generates over 100 million dollars annually while handling over 500,000 TEU containers.

It has a UN/LOCODE of USMSY and will be a great location for picking up your cargo from India.

Chicago Sea Port

This port has a UN/LOCODE of USCHI and has several ports making up one port that can handle 36 million TEUs in a year.

It is a world-class type of port which also boasts of numerous warehouses for storage of your cargo.

Jacksonville Sea Port

You will use the newest port in USA for the importation of vehicles from India among other products.

It has a UN/LOCODE of USJAX and can handle about 1.3 million TEUs in a year.

The other ports in the USA where you can get your cargo are:

• New York Sea Ports
• San Francisco Sea Ports
• Oakland Sea Ports
• Boston Sea ports
• Baltimore Sea ports
• Atlanta Sea Ports
• Charleston Sea Ports
• Norfolk Sea Ports
• Tacoma Sea Ports
• Port Everglades Sea Ports
• Mobile Sea Ports

Transit Routes when Shipping from India to USA

There are specific routes that you can use when shipping from India to USA.

Here is a table with the sea route and time it takes when navigating these sea routes.

Benefits of Using Freight Forwarder when Shipping from India to USA

You can simply hire a freight forwarder to handle your shipment from India to USA.

Here are the main reasons why you should hire a freight forwarder to transport your cargo.

• Timely pickup of the cargo and delivery of the cargo from India to USA
• Efficient use of the tracking systems for the cargo from India to USA
• Ensures proper security for your cargo
• It is also the most cost-effective mode and hassle-free mode of shipping
• Ensure proper and accurate documentation processes
• Proper management of the shipping inventories
• Warehousing and storage of the goods

Main Airports of Origin in India when Shipping from India to USA

After securing the goods from India, you can transport them through air freight from India.

Here are the main airports in India which you can use to dispatch the cargo to USA.

Here are the main airports of origin for transporting the cargo to the USA.

DELHI International Airport

Delhi international airport is the main airport covering over 5100 acres which is the busiest cargo airport in India.

It has different brownfield and greenfield cargo terminals thus making it proper for sending cargo to USA.

It serves different airports in USA including JFK in New York, Chicago- O’Hare, and San Francisco International Airport.

It has an IATA code of DEL.

MUMBAI International Airport

You can also identify it as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and is the second largest cargo airport in India.

It has three terminals which have both city side and air side access thus increasing the overall speed of shipment.

You can import your cargo from Mumbai International Airport to New York -JFK international airport.

It has an IATA code of BOM.

Destination Airports when Shipping from India to USA

When shipping cargo from India to USA you can use air freight services.

On your air freight services, you can get your products from different airports in the United States of America.

Here are some of the airports where you can get your cargo from India in the USA.

CHICAGO – 0’HARE International Airport

You can get your cargo from the Northeast or the South of the airport with a large capacity of 2 million square feet.

It has rail and road links that help in the distribution of the products all over the United States of America.

You can load the products at the Delhi International Airport in India.

It has an IATA code which is ORD.

NEW YORK – JFK International Airport

It has four runways and six terminals across the 5200-acre site and offices for multiple cargo companies.

It is the 3^rd largest airport that receives most of the cargo which you will import from India.

It has an IATA Code of JFK and it has a connection with the Mumbai and Delhi International Airports.

San Francisco International Airport

This is the biggest airport in the California bay Area which is 21 km south from downtown.

It has four freight ways as well as 9 cargo facilities with an IATA CODE of SFO.

You can import your cargo from the Delhi International Airport in India.

Apart from the three main airports, you can receive your cargo at other airports in USA such as:

• Atlanta International Airport
• Denver International Airport
• El Paso International Airport
• Houston International Airport
• Miami International Airport
• Philadelphia International Airport
• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
• Cleveland International Airport
• Los Angeles International Airport
• Charlotte International Airport
• Cincinnati International Airport
• Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
• San Diego-Lindberg Field International Airport
• Boston International Airport
• Detroit-Wayne County International Airport
• Sacramento International Airport

The Best Time to Ship from India to USA

When shipping from India to USA, you should wait for the product for some time.

This will depend on the mode of freight that you will use in the shipping process.

In case you use the best and fastest mode of transport, here are the best time for shipping from India.

How LCL Shipping from India to USA compare to FCL Shipping from India to USA

Well, whenever you choose to use ocean freights, you can either choose to use FCL or LCL shipping.

Your choice will depend definitely on the quantity of goods that you will be importing via the ocean freights.

Here are the considerations that should compel you to use LCL or FCL ocean freight services.

LCL Ocean Freight Services

You will use LCL shipping when importing a small consignment of goods from India to the United States of America.

In other words, you will use it on goods that will not take up more than half of the 20 ft container.

It is important to weigh up the costs and determine whether the gods will sit together with

If you’re importing from China, you will definitely need high quality and reliable shipping pallets.

A reason why this guide explores all the fundamental aspects of shipping pallets, from design, material type, quality standards to benefits, just to mention a few.

So, if you want to be an expert in shipping pallets, read this guide.

What is a Shipping Pallet and Palletizing?

A shipping pallet is a cargo structure that is flat in shape and used in freight shipment/transportation.

It provides support and stability to the cargo and offers ease of handling through a forklift, pallet jack, or any other mechanized cargo lifting technique.

Shipping pallets technology came in the twentieth century.

It has since offered superior cargo transport compared to other traditional forms like wooden barrels and boxes.

Besides, shipping pallets are more compatible with modern shipping packages, such as intermodal containers and cardboard boxes suitable for bulk transportation.

Palletizing is the preparation of pallet freights through the stacking of cargo consignments on top of the pallets.

The process provides easier cargo handling and storage and a safer way of transporting goods in the shipping industry.

What is the Difference Between Package Shipment and Pallet Shipment?

You can use both pallet shipment and package shipment to transport consignments from one point to the other.

While package shipment is ideal for smaller and lighter goods, pallet shipping is suitable for transporting larger and bulkier consignments.

Package Shipment

Standard package shipping is more common and widely used to transport small size goods.

Most courier companies will describe the maximum weight and dimensions of goods considered a single shipment.

Consequently, a package is a single shipment/parcel transported in a sturdy container or cardboard boxes.

You can also put the goods in a well-wrapped suitcase, either placed in an outer container or not as preferred by the carrier, and consider it a single package.

Pallet Shipping

You can transport the same packages in pallets if they are many and bulky rather than shipping them as isolated items.

You can stack the cardboards/boxes on a pallet and transport them as a single shipment.

When you consider pallet shipment for your goods, the boxes will not be separated anywhere a mid-transport and will reach the destination as a whole.

In a scenario where you have bulky consignment, pallet shipment is cheaper and more efficient than standard package shipment.

You can also use pallet shipment for bulkier cargo other than just stacked boxes and card boxes.

How Can You Prepare Your Shipping Pallets for Shipment?

The process of preparing your pallets for shipment begins with selecting the most appropriate shipping pallet for your cargo.

Besides, the desired type of pallet, size, construction material, etc., will depend on your specific shipping needs.

Ensure that the shipping pallet you select is sturdy enough to hold the volume of goods you are shipping and large enough to prevent overhangs.

Choose shipping pallets with closely spaced decks but without protruding nail heads or broken deck boards.

In preference, select a shipping pallet that possesses a four-way forklift entry to ease the loading and offloading process and prevent shipment damage.

Packaging the Shipping Pallets

Choose a packaging system that is compatible with your freight needs.

Your palletizing system should efficiently utilize the available space, optimize weight, and protect your goods against damages.

A well-organized palletizing system eases your carrier’s work, thus facilitating faster and safe delivery of your goods to the final destination.

You can follow the guidelines below to ensure efficient palletizing:

Stacking the Boxes/Cargo

If your shipment consists of consignment that you pile up, then consider the following;

• Use new and strong cartons.
• Insert adequate amounts of dunnage within the cartons to protect your cargo against damages caused by internal vibration. Ensure that there are no voids and spaces left that can damage the goods. Ensure that your packaging system evenly distributes the weight within each box.
• Closely secure and seal the cartons appropriately. Use plenty of sealing tapes for optimal protection.
• To achieve optimal stack strength, align your boxes from corner to corner along a column.
• Do not rotate layer patterns or interlock
• Fit all the boxes within the pallet edges
• Avoid aligning the boxes corner on the gaps between adjacent board deck to prevent imbalance and potential damage by a forklift.
• Stack the heaviest boxes at the bottom-most to prevent excessive weight on top of other boxes
• Avoid the creation of pyramids and maintain a flat top layer to avoid damages from top layers
• Solidify loose boxes and evenly distribute the shipment weight by inserting flat cardboard sheets below the load and throughout the shipment layers.
• Stabilize your loads by covering your shipment using stretch-wraps. Twist the stretch-wraps for more strength and wrap at least five revolutions in each direction.
• Should your shipment require extra protection and stability, use nylon straps and bands to tighten the load down through the middle of pallets.
• Correctly label each piece with the address information, telephone numbers of the consignee and shipper.

What Types of Shipping Pallets Are There?

There are two broad categories of shipping pallets and other smaller subcategories within the two main categories.

The main broad categories of pallets include:

Stringer Pallets

These are also known as stringers or two-way pallets.

Stringer’s have two main openings for a forklift on only two different sides and are also referred to as ‘unnotched.’

However, you can also cut a notch into them to allow for a ‘four-way’ entry and fork lifting of the pallets.

The stringer pallets have three or more main parallel wood blocks that support both ends and the middle of the pallet deck’s.

Block Pallets

These are also known as four-way pallets because you can lift them on all four sides using a forklift.

A block pallet has blocks on all sides and the middle of individual edges of the pallet’s upper and lower decks.

The block pallet’s design encompassing parallel and perpendicular stringers makes these pallets stronger and bigger, and more suitable for bulkier shipment.

They are heavier and more durable than stringers and offer superior cargo handling capabilities compared to stringer pallets.

The other subcategories of pallets within the two broad categories include:

• Single-wing pallets: Either the top or bottom deck pallets extends beyond the stringer’s edge to increase their load capacity.
• Double face pallets: Have two decks that increase the pallet’s strength and allow you to use either side.
• Double-wing pallets: All the top and bottom decks extend beyond the stringer’s edge to provide more surface area and support.
• Flush pallets: Thee edges of flush boards are entirely square and has no overhangs
• Solid deck pallets: These types of boards have a single sheet of material without gaps in between. It is easier to clean than regular boards.
• Reversible pallets: The top and bottom parts are identical, making it easy to use any side up.
• Non-reversible pallets: The top part’s configuration and the bottom parts are dissimilar and thus cannot be used any side up.

Are There ISO Standard Shipping Pallets Sizes?

There are no ISO standard shipping pallet sizes and dimensions. However, ISO recognizes certain pallets’ sizes as according to different shipping regions.

Why Select Shipping Pallets Over Packaging?

The choice of a particular shipping method will primarily depend on the volume and content of goods you want to ship.

If your consignment comprises a few lightweight goods/packages, you should choose standard packaging and shipment.

Though you can also use shipping pallets, it will be costlier than standard package shipment.

However, in cases where you need to ship bulkier, heavier, or many packages, Pallet shipping provides an efficient, cheaper, and more reliable freight option.

Besides, shipping pallets also offer the following benefits as opposed to standard package shipment.

• Pellets safely secure goods and protect them from damage and loss as it moves through multiple handling stages.
• Pallets reduce cargo handling time as it enables faster cargo loading and offloading, speeding up cargo delivery.
• You can efficiently store your goods in a warehouse or transit when you use pallets because they have an ideal shape that facilitates easier stacking.
• You can combine several but different goods and ship them as a single entity. Combining goods saves space and time that you would otherwise use to track several packages.
• Pallets are easier to handle using forklifts, while package boxes can be heavy and difficult to handle.

The heavy boxes may also require more specialized equipment to handle, limiting their acceptance by standard cargo handlers.

• Pallets also have provision for air circulation for goods that require to ‘breath.’

Pallets are ideal for transportation of such goods as fresh produce, which would otherwise spoil when packages are enclosed.

• Unlike packages, you can still reuse pallets for several shipping trips and even for supplementary use, like for storage in warehouses after shipping.

What Types of Goods Can You Transport on a Shipping Pallet?

You can ship almost all types of goods using shipping pallets.

The goods can range from food products, building materials, industrial materials, machinery, computers, boxes, stackable items destined for one direction, etc.

What Material Can You Use to Construct Your Shipping Pallets?

You can use diverse types of materials to construct your shipping pallets.

Some of the most common materials for making shipping pallets include:

Wooden Pallet

Wooden shipping pallets are low cost and by far the most widely used in cargo shipping.

You can use the following types of wood to construct your wooden shipping pallets:

Softwood

They are soft by nature and readily pliable compared to other types of wood.

They are cheaper because they grow faster and therefore readily available.

Softwoods are lighter because they don’t develop denser stems as hardwood and are thus easier to manage.

Arguably, using softwood for pallet construction reduces deforestation compared to using hardwood due to faster growth.

However, pallets made from softwoods also have drawbacks.

Notably, they have limited durability due to lower density, making them vulnerable to splinters and warps.

Softwood also has a lower weight capacity due to lower material density.

As a result, you will have to use more wood when constructing pallets to compensate for the low density.

Pine and oak are some of the most commonly used softwoods for the fabrication of pallets.

Hardwood

You will get hardwood from angiosperms. They take more extended periods to grow and are thus more expensive than softwoods.

Due to higher costs, they are less used in the construction of shipping pallets compared to softwood.

The key benefits of hardwood are durability and strength, which arise from the higher density. However, hardwood is expensive, environmentally less sustainable, and bulky.

Heavy pallets are not easy to handle and often result in higher wear and tear of warehouse machinery.

Technical Wood

It is a compressed wood that offers an ideal alternative to both soft and hardwoods.

It is less susceptible to decay and rot over time and henceforth long-lasting.

Plastics Pallets

You can use either Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), or polyethylene (PE) to construct your pallets.

However, high-density polyethylene offers the best material for making a high-quality plastic pallet.

Technically, plastic pallets are a better substitute for wooden pallets because of the following superior qualities:

• Non-porous thus does not absorb chemical spills and moisture
• Easier to clean hence ideal for foodstuff
• Not susceptible to pest attack
• More consistent and durable than wooden pallets

Paper/Cardboard shipping pallets

Also known as corrugated shipping pallets, these pallets constitute corrugated paper such as boxes.

They have a laminate layer that makes them water-resistant.

Corrugated pallets have the lightest weight and are relatively cheaper too.

The manufacturing process follows the layering of boxes across different axes to give to achieve the desired strength.

When planned well, your cardboard pallets can hold up to four-time the weight held by a wooden pallet.

The more layers, the higher the cardboard strength.

However, these pallets are more susceptible to moisture or temperature levels and have a weight limit.

Metal Pallets

You can also construct metal pallets using steel, aluminum, or any other suitable metal and its alloys.

Metal pallets are the most robust and most durable of all pallets but also the most expensive.

Using metal pallets is only feasible when you are constantly shipping heavy loads for an extended period, thus the need for reusability.

Metal pallets are also resistant to pest attack and are easy to clean since the metals’ surface does not easily attract dirt.

How Does the Different Pallet Materials Compare?

Wood pallets are less expensive and can hold more weight compared to plastics and cardboard pallets.

However, they are susceptible to attack by pests, molds, and rot and, therefore, less durable.

Plastics pallets are about ten times more expensive than wood pallets, more durable, and not susceptible to moisture and temperature fluctuations.

They are also easy to clean and not susceptible to pests, molds, and rot.

Also, they have a relatively low weight compared to wood pallets and can be recycled.

Cardboard pallets are the cheapest, ideal for a one-off use, and highly sensitive to fluctuating moisture and temperature.

They are lightweight and completely recyclable.

What Factors Should You Consider When Selecting a Shipping Pallet?

You should consider the following factors when selecting the type of shipping pallet based on construction material.

Types of Goods

The type of products you will be shipping is a primary consideration when selecting a pallet.

The type and nature of goods will help you settle for a specific type of pallet for shipping your goods.

For instance, plastic pallets are more suitable for transporting beverage and food products.

Packaging Dimension

The width, height, and length of the products you intend to ship will help you determine the ideal size of a pallet to choose from.

Frequency of Use

Metal and plastic pallets are more durable and ideal for frequent shipment operations that will require you to reuse your pallets more often.

In case of a one-time shipment, you can consider using reconditioned wood pallets because they are cheaper to purchase and easier to dispose of.

Shipping Conditions

The storage and transportation conditions and temperatures are critical when deciding on the material of choice to fabricate your pallets.

Plastic and metal pallets are resistant to fluctuating moisture and temperature levels, while paper and wooden pallets are highly susceptible.

Shipping Destination

Some countries require export goods using pallets that comply with ISPM15 standards.

Under such scenarios, wooden pallets come in handy.

Budget

Budgeting for maximum profit means that you have to minimize all the transportation costs and maximize profit.

Spending less on pallets with a limited life-cycle will be costly in the long run, while investing in expensive pallets for a one-off shipment is also expensive.

How Long Can a Shipping Pallet Last?

The life cycle of pallets varies widely depending on numerous variables like materials used, shipment conditions, carrier’s policies, etc.

Whereas some companies’ policies advocate for using pallets only once, others provide room for refurbishment and reuse of old pallets.

Some pallets, such as paper pallets, are naturally designed for a one-off shipment, while plastics and metal pallets will last several trips.

Wooden pallets can make two or more trips or last for several months or even years, depending on how well you manage them.

Plastics can last for five or more years with good management, while metal pallets can last forever when well taken care of.

How High Can You Stack Your Pallets?

You should maintain a safe stack height for your pallets to avoid unnecessary workplace accidents.

Though the regulatory stack heights may vary from one country to another, a general rule of thumb keeps the stack height below 60 inches.

Similarly, stacking the heavier pallets at the bottom and the lighter ones at the top will also help you reduce the risks of workplace injuries.

Ensure that your pallets are free of hanging materials on their sides.

What Factors Affect the Weight That a Single Pallet Can Contain?

The load capacity of a pallet depends on its static weight capacity and dynamic load capacity.

The static load capacity is the weight a pallet can hold when stationary and flat.

On the other hand, dynamic load capacity refers to the weight a pallet can hold when a forklift or jack is lifting it.

The total load capacity is not equal between all pallets and therefore vary to the following factors:

• Type of material used to construct the pallet
• Conditions of the working environment
• Pallet’s specific application
• Thickness of the material used to construct the pallet
• Pallets size and dimensions
• Type of pallet used

How Many Cartons Will Fit in Your Pallets?

The number of cartons that can fit on a single pallet can significantly vary from one shipment to the other and one product to the other.

Besides, the number of boxes capable of fitting in a single pallet will therefore depend on:

• Size and dimensions of your pallet
• Size and dimension of the boxes
• Height of your pallet stacks
• The stacking method you use

What Do You Need to Protect Your Shipment Pallets from Damage?

You can use the following techniques to secure your palletized goods and protect them from getting damaged while on transit.

Use a Load Protector

Use a top to bottom load protector to secure your shipment.

It constitutes several layers of heavy paperboards or corrugated fiberboards.

Load protectors are instrumental and can safely secure your shipment by evenly distributing the shipment weight that is stackable on each other.

Use Edge/Corner Boards

Using a corner board will help you prevent corner edge damage, increase your vertical stack strength, and stabilize your load.

For effectiveness, extend the corner boards to all corners and full height and length of the load.

Stretch Wrappings

You can effectively stabilize all pieces of your shipment by wrapping them together with a stretch wrap.

The stretch wraps have to cover the pallets together with the load to stabilize them as a unit firmly.

Ensure that the stretch wraps capture the pallets at the bottom layers and are tight enough to prevent load shifting.

Also, ensure that you twist the stretch wraps like a rope to provide more strength and enhanced stability.

Strapping and Banding

Strapping or bandings will safely secure all the shipment pieces together in the pallet, thus preventing them from separating from the rest of the load.

You might need to run the strapping underneath the board’s top deck to draw them tightly onto the load.

What Are the Phytosanitary Requirements for Using Wood Panels?

Wood pallets must conform to the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures Publication number 15 (ISPM15).

Some countries will require you to conform to the treatments and markings outlined in the standards before accepting your shipment.

Consequently, you can conform to these standards by adhering to the following:

Debarking

You have to construct your wood pallets using debarked wood.

The small pieces and separated barks can only remain under the following conditions:

• The width is less than 3 cm
• The width is greater than 3 cm, but the total surface area of an individual piece less than 50cm³

Heat Treatment

You must subject the wood pallets to heat treatment through a special kiln.

You should heat the materials until the minimum core temperatures reach 56°C for 30 consecutive minutes.

Heat treating kills most insect pests’ larvae and cells and spores of wood pathogenic bacteria and fungi.

Fumigation

You can also fumigate the wood pallets using a suitable chemical to manage insect pests and diseases of timber.

Also, you can use either methyl bromide or sulphuryl fluoride for fumigation.

You should ensure that the wood pallets have the ISMP15 compliance stamp or brand.

The stamp must include the IPPC certification symbol, the country’s ISO code where the wood was treated, a unique certification number, and the treatment abbreviation.

What Test Should You Carry Out On Wooden Shipping Pallets?

You can conduct the following wood-based composite tests for woods used in making shipping pallets:

• 24-hour composite block soak test. This test determines the average percentage and standard deviations of dimensional change and the water-weight gain.

• The pallet block side compression test helps determine the peak load at failure
• A nail insertion force test. The test determines the maximum force required for nail insertion.
• Nail withdrawal force test to determine the maximum force needed for removal of each nail.

At What Time of the Year Should You Consider Purchasing a Shipping Pallet?

You should arrange to buy your pallets off-shipping seasons, usually between spring and summer or the first two quarters of the year.

The prices significantly fluctuate during the third and fourth quarters of the year due to increased shipments just before the holidays.

During the holiday rush, the demand for pallets is usually higher than the supply, making pallets very expensive.

What Factors Influence the Cost of Shipping Pallets?

The cost of a shipping pallet depends on the following factors:

• Material of construction
• Time of the year you are making the purchase, i.e., offseason or shipping season.
• Size and dimension of the pallet
• The urgency of the need
• Location

Are There Differences in Regional Pallet Practices?

Generally, acceptable pallet management practices are standard across all regions.

However, there are slight differences in pallet sizes, requirements for ISPM15 compliance, certification for shipment, allowable pallet stack height, etc.

For instance, the USA’s standard pallet size is 48 × 40 inches, while Europe and other parts of the world mainly prefer 31.5 x 47.2 x 5.7 inches.

What Factors Must You Consider When Purchasing Your Shipping Pallets?

Purchasing the correct type of shipping pallet is fundamental to realize the optimal cost-benefit ratio in favor of your business.

The following considerations are beneficial when it comes to choosing the correct type of shipping pallets.

· Shipping Destination

Shipping pallets for overseas transit require more stringent cleaning than shipping pallets for local transportation.

You can use heat-treatment or chemical treatment, or both to protect your pallets against pests, molds, and rot.

The destination might also dictate whether you will require to make multiple trips or a one-way trip. You can use high-quality, new pallets if you make several trips and recycled pallets if you only need to make a one-way trip.

· Product Weight

The pallets’ overall weight is important specifically because it determines whether it will support the entire product weight.

Whereas plastic pallets are more weather-resistant, durable, clean, and easy to stack, they are also more expensive and costly.

On the other hand, block-style wooden pallets are ideal for heavier materials among the wooden pallets.

· Life Expectancy

Your pallet’s life expectancy directly determines the number of trips you can make using similar pallets and the corresponding investment worthy of the pallets.

You should ask yourself whether the pallets of choice can withstand extreme handling and shipping conditions.

You also need to consider whether your shipping program requires frequent or sporadic use of the pallets or, perhaps, just once.

Generally, plastic pallets last longer than wooden pallets, and for this reason alone have seen a steady rise in their adoption in the shipping business.

· Compatibility with Available Equipment

The choice of the desired pallet must fit in with the automation system employed in your shipping business.

You have to consider aspects such as the presence and type of conveyor belts, forklifts, pallet jacks, etc., and ensure that they are compatible with your machines.

Desired Pallet Size

The size of a pallet is one of the critical considerations when selecting a pallet.

Choosing a huge pallet will be a wastage while a smaller pallet will not accommodate all your products.

Ensure that you conduct your homework well before buying a pallet since they come in a wide variety of dimensions.

· Purchase Price

The cost of the pallet is a key consideration when choosing a pallet.

As a business, your priority is making profits, and settling for a pallet that will deliver the highest yield is desirable.

For a one-way shipment, cheaper pallets are reasonable for regular shipment, more expansive, and quality pallets are more profitable.

· ISMP15 Compliance

ISMP15 compliance applies to wooden pallets. Some countries demand that your pallets adhere to the requirements of ISMP15 standards.

ISMP15 refers to International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures Number 15.

The standards require all wooden pallets and other wooden packaging materials to go through heat treatment or fumigated before shipment.

ISMP15 standards enforcement helps minimize the spread of insect pests and pathogens of timber to new areas.

Always ensure that the timber pallets you are purchasing have an ISMP15 compliance stamp.

· Supplier

Hiring a supplier is also a key consideration when sourcing for your pallets.

Your pallet supplier should be capable of meeting all the necessary total pallet management needs as dictated by your business from time to time.

Also, you may require unplanned large quantities of pallets from time to time.

Your supplier should be capable of meeting the demand within a very tight window/schedule without failure.

Your pallet providers should also come in handy in managing your pallet inventory to caution you against potential future shortages.

Also, research pricing from the different suppliers ensures that you are getting the best deal for your money.

Though time-consuming, the alternative of settling for the wrong supplier can be disastrous and costly to your business’s operations and total health.

What eco-friendly Shipping Pallet Practices Are There?

You can implement pallet use practices that have minimal effect on the environment. They include:

• Use of durable pallets to reduce the number of waste pallets ending up in landfills
• Encouraging the reuse of pallets helps reduce wastes as well as deforestation
• Using recycled pallets to reduce the demand for new wooden materials
• Recycling plastic pallets to reduce the disposal of plas