Shipping and Freight - A to Z

1. Shipping and Freight - A to Z

2. Synopsis 1. What Exactly Is Intermodal Transportation? 2. What You Need to Know About Your Freight Shipping Options 3. Choosing the Best Air Shipping Services Company 4. Different Types of Freight Shipping and Charges 5. Getting the Most From Ocean Freight Services

3. What Exactly Is Intermodal Transportation? • Intermodal transportation is the utilization of special containers that are designed to move large amount of cargo on freight trains, ships and trucks. These containers are large and rectangular and are secured to trailers that are designed to hold them. Intermodal containers are extremely durable and made of steel. They are built so they can safely and effectively be transferred between different types of transportation. So, if you need to ship something internationally or from one part of the country to the other, you can rest assured that your products are safe when you use the containers that are designed for intermodal transportation. • The starting and ending points of intermodal travel are usually routes on the ocean or rails; in between these routes, large trucks are used to transport the freight. Trucks that run between ocean freights are referred to as drayage, and these trucks also transport goods between shipping docks and rail terminals. • There are a number of variables that go into successful intermodal transportation, but the most common scenario is when a truck moves an empty container to a shipper to pick up a load of goods. The equipment is then loaded on a freight, where a truck moves the items to a railroad yard. The goods are transported by train to their destination and removed from the train and put on a truck. The last truck drives the products to the customer. This is usually beneficial for all involved parties, such the process is highly efficient.

4. What You Need to Know About Your Freight Shipping Options • Free on Board Origin • Free on board or FOB origin refers to the time during the shipping exchange when the seller gives the merchandise rights to the buyer, which means the buyer assumes ownership. In an FOB instance, the freight is the responsibility of the consignees who will be at the shipping dock, and this consignee has to pay all of the costs associated with shipping. • FOB Origin • In this instance, the freight is the responsibility of the consignee at the shipping dock; the shipper has to pay all the freight charges for the shipment. You can also select FOB origin with a freight prepaid and charged back, which means that the consignee is responsible for the freight once the product gets to the shipper’s do?k. The shipper ?ill also pa? for all ?harges asso?iated ?ith the freight, and the shipper then invoices the consignee for these charges. • FOB Destination Options • For FOB desti?atio? shippi?g, the goods title is passed at the ?o?sig?ee’s dock. The shipper is responsible for the charges associated with the freight. The freight is only shipped once all fees are paid. Freight collect is another FOB destination option, and this means that the title for the goods passes the doc of the consignee and consignee pays for all associated freight charges. Or, you can select FOB destination with the freight collect and allowed option. The title gets to the consignee dock and the consignee has to pay the freight charges that the carrier has incurred. The fright charges are then deducted from the invoice that the seller receives for the products.

5. Choosing the Best Air Shipping Services Company • Make sure the air shipping services company is insured. You have to know that the ite?s ?ou’re shippi?g ?ill ?e se?ure throughout tra?sit a?d get to ?our ?usto?ers safel?. If ?ou’re usi?g the ?o?pa?? to ?o?e ?our perso?al ite?s, it’s important to get insurance so that all the valuable items in your home are safe. • You should also be aware of the shipping options you have. Most companies have a set route that they use depending on the location where the goods need to be shipped, but you can also select the charter option so that you can customize how quickly the items will arrive at their destination. Be clear on the shippi?g s?hedule ?efore ?ou su??it ?our ite?s; this ?a?, ?ou’ll k?o? ?he? your personal items will arrive at your new address, or when to tell customers ?he? the? ?a? e?pe?t to re?ei?e the ite?s the?’?e ordered fro? ?our ?o?pa??. The air shipping services company you use may also have discounted rates if you have a large amount of packages to ship or if you decide that you want to use the ?o?pa?? for shippi?g ser?i?es as ?our ?usi?ess’ shippi?g pro?ider o? a regular basis. • There are several different planes that are used for air shipping services, and ?ou’ll ?eed to ha?e so?e i?for?atio? o? the ?arious air?rafts that ?ou ha?e to ?hoose fro?. S?aller pla?es are ideal ?he? ?ou ha?e fragile ite?s that are?’t too large and need to be transported quickly. If you have larger fine items that need to be shipped efficiently and can be safely transported via air. If you have questions about the planes that are available, be sure to ask a shipping professional for further information before you start the shipping process.

6. Different Types of Freight Shipping and Charges • Freight Bill and Bills of Lading • All freight shipping companies will give clients two documents that are crucial to the shipping process – the freight bill and the bill of landing. The freight bill is basically an invoice and helps you keep a record of your payments. The bill of lading is a legal document and are even used in a court of law. It shows the number of items that are being shipped and the names of these items. A bill of lading reflects the value, weight and detailed description of each item. The document should also include details about when the products are supposed to be shipped and when they should be delivered to their destination. Bills of lading is a contractual agreement between yourself and the shipper. • The Prepay and Add Option • In this arrangement, the shipper is responsible for paying for freight. Then, the shipper charges the customer to recover the funds. This is an ideal option when the shipper and the carrier have an established business relationship – usually the rates will be better in an arrangement like this, because if you use a shipping company often, your rates will likely be lower than if you only ship items once in a while.

7. Different Types of Freight Shipping and Charges • Third Party Option • For this arrangement, a logistics company covers all the freight charges instead of the consignee and shipper taking on this responsibility. If the consignee is ordering the goods for the first time or the order is particularly intricate, this is a viable option. • COD • COD, or cash on delivery, means that the carrier gets payment from the customer once the item is delivered and forwards the payment to the shipper. The shipper then reimburses the carrier. Most of the time, the carrier will charge a fee on top of the price the carrier pays for this service.

8. Getting the Most From Ocean Freight Services • There are different types of ships that are used for ocean freight services. You should be aware of the ship types before you start the shipping process. Box ships or ?o?tai?er ships are used to ?arr? goods i? ?o?tai?ers that are usuall? 20’ to 40’. The ?o?tai?ers are stored ?elo? the de?k of the ship duri?g tra?sit. There are also roll-on/roll-off ships for ocean freight services, and these are utilized for ?o??er?ial a?d perso?al ?ehi?les. If ?ou ha?e a? oil or gas ?o?pa??, ?ou’ll use a tanker to transport the goods on the ocean from one location to another. Bulk carriers are the ships that carry unpackaged products like fertilizer, grains and coal, and general cargo ships can carry all forms of loose-packaged cargo. • You’ll also ?eed to k?o? ho? ?our goods ?ill get fro? ?our ?o?pa?? to ?our ?usto?er, ?hi?h ?ea?s ?ou’ll ?eed to ask ?our o?ea? freight ser?i?es ?usi?ess about transit options. If you choose to have your materials put on a liner vessel, ?ou’ll ha?e to pa? a sta?dard fee, a?d ?our ?aterials ?ill ?e o? a fi?ed route ?ith a pre-established schedule. This is helpful when customers need to know when the? should e?pe?t the goods a?d is ?est ?he? ?ou’re shippi?g ?aterials to businesses or consumers that you work with often. If you have various materials goi?g out at differe?t ti?es to a ?u??er of lo?atio?s, ?ou’ll ?eed a ?harter vessel, which goes to the locations you specify in the timeframe that you need. With a charter vessel, you also get to select where the goods are loaded and unloaded.

9. The End For more details, please visit: http://octi.ca/additional-services/