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Logistics & shipping
20 shipping acronyms all shippers should know - Infographic
20 shipping acronyms all shippers should know From IMO 2020 and ELD to GRI and EEI, one way or another, you’ve probably heard it all. You may be able to put them into context but… just how well do you understand these shipping acronyms? What’s the difference between HS and HTS codes? Is a 20-foot container the same as a TEU? And just how are SOLAS and VGM related?
The importance of proper packaging in an ocean freight shipment
From machinery and pharmaceutical equipment to bulk goods and personal effects, thousands of cargo is being transported every day across the globe. Whether you’re a first time shipper or looking to relocate to a new country with your household goods, you will want to make sure your shipment arrives in good condition. And that means having adequate packaging to prevent damages while considering external factors such as conditions that your shipment may be exposed to and the amount of handling involved.
Top 5 shipping documents all shippers should be familiar with
The ocean freight industry is (in)famous for its paperwork. Getting to know all of them is tedious enough — getting them right is a task in itself. Any seemingly innocuous error can cause problems and delays that may severely disrupt your supply chain. By and large, many of these documents contain the same information — buyer, seller, merchandise details, etc. But each document plays a different role and it’s important to not only make sure that the information written on each document is accurate but that it’s consistent across all the documents.
Largest east coast ports in the US
East Coast ports making gains The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on the US west coast may reign top as the largest and busiest ports in the country, but ports along the east coast have slowly been making gains. According to the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA) West Coast Trade Report released last year, gulf and east coast ports have been catching up with their western counterparts.
The different equipment and material you may require for your shipment
Whether you’re importing or exporting for commercial purposes or moving overseas, you’ll want to make sure the cargo you’re transporting in shipping containers is as secure as possible. But ocean freight transportation is a process that involves more than just the sea journey from one port to another. It begins with proper packing and loading at origin until it reaches its destination for unloading. Your cargo is exposed to many risks during this journey, especially when it’s being loaded and unloaded.
Is your Christmas made in China?
It’s the time of the year again to light up the Christmas trees and adorn them. Depending on where you are in the world, you may need to buy a Christmas tree - or simply go into your backyard to chop down a fir. Given that China’s the world’s largest exporter in the world, it should come as no surprise then that it’s also the top producer of artificial Christmas trees.
Cosco Shipping's road to world dominance
Cosco’s plan to leapfrog Maersk as the world’s largest shipping line is no secret. And may industry players be warned—do not take Cosco’s ambitions lightly for it’s more of an advisory than it is a desire. In the past two years since the Chinese government merged China Shipping with China Ocean Shipping to form the current Cosco Shipping, the liner has undertaken a series of investments and expansions as evidence that it’s pressing on strong with its ambitious agenda.
iContainers' agents success story - Across The Ocean Shipping
Freight forwarding agents form one of iContainers’ most important and valued clients. Our services extend beyond simply being able to provide agents with limited offers with more route and price options, which in turn helps them to meet their clients’ demands and needs. In addition, as we start to build commercial relationships with these agents, they become more than just customers. These relationships eventually develop into a partnership with which mutual demands and needs are exchanged.
Switch Bill of Lading: A complete manual and word of advice
In an increasingly globalized world with segmented economies, shipping agents find themselves dealing with more trading companies and their foreign-to-foreign transactions than the old-fashioned factory-to-importer shipments. The success of such contracts typically hinges on the ability of trading agents to conceal the factory’s contact from the end buyer through the issuance of a switch Bill of Lading. What is a switch Bill of Lading? A switch Bill of Lading refers to a second set of Bill of Lading issued by the carrier (or its agent) to substitute the original bills of lading issued at the time of shipment.
The right approach to automation in freight forwarding
In recent years, the hot topic of digital freight forwarding has been about technology, digitization, and automation. In comparison with other industries including as air travel, the shipping industry is considerably backwards when it comes to digitalization. There doesn’t appear to be a sense of urgency to adopt and embrace technology and its advantages. The industry knows this and is certainly reacting. For starters, shipping lines Maersk and Hapag Lloyd now offer instant quotes on their online page.
