In any import process, it is essential to anticipate the impact that the delay of your transport will have on the overall delay of your project.
For many importers an advertised transport time of 30 days means that their goods will leave immediately after the end of production. This is not the case!
Indeed, you must first reserve a boat (whether you are in a full container – FCL – or not) because very often there is only one weekly departure. On each departure there is a deadline for receipt of the booking document and a deadline for receipt of the goods at the warehouse.
For a transport in LCL («less than container loaded» is a container that is not full with your goods), the date of receipt of the goods at the warehouse is often around 6-7 days before the departure of the ship.
Knowing that you must also count a day of delivery between your factory and the port of departure, you already have an extra week of delay that adds to your project.
This period is shortened (by about 2-3 days) if you send an entire container because indeed the carrier does not need to wait for the container to fill with the goods of other importers.
So that you and your supplier are well informed and that the transition between the end of your production and the departure of the boat goes smoothly, do not hesitate to put the factory in contact with the agent in charge of the transport as soon as possible. This is always better than being surprised and missing a boat departure that will make you lose an extra week.
Shipping Zones
Shipping zones are perhaps the most crucial element to understanding how freight transit times work. Regardless of the contents of a given truckload, shipping zones are the means through which the distance between the departure point and the landing point are estimated. Shipping zones help carriers determine the price of a given shipment, and are vital to planning the logistics of a shipment.
The transfer of risks
Between the time when the parties agree on a sale and the time when the buyer is actually in possession of the item sold, it may take some time; this is particularly the case for goods which must be delivered away from their place of production or the place where they are stored. However, goods may be damaged or destroyed during this period, especially if they travel. It is therefore essential to determine in the contract who will assume the risks of deterioration or loss of the goods and also to fix the time of transfer of the risks. Where the parties do not provide for a specific clause, the transfer of ownership and the transfer of risks shall take place at the time of the exchange of the consents. But the parties can perfectly foresee that the transfer of ownership and risks will take place at another time. It is also possible to agree on the transfer of ownership on one date and the transfer of risks to another. The parties can set the time of the transfer in the contract themselves or use the “incoterms”. These incoterms determine who pays for transport (and insurance during transport) as well as customs clearance (for international transport), and set the date of transfer of risks, but not the date of transfer of ownership.
The movement of goods between countries takes place for a variety of reasons. The majority, however, is in the trade of goods. With the rapid growth of e-commerce, many small businesses require international transportation. In this article, we will explain the different steps to follow before organizing your first international shipment.
Shipping lines, reservation agents, freight forwarders, customs brokers; there are many players involved in international transport. If your shipping needs are related to a shipment that can fit in a standard shipping container, but not enough to fill it, and if your shipment is not so urgent as to pay an air freight surcharge, you probably need a lower loading solution.
The export clearance phase
For each shipment leaving a country, customs formalities must take place to meet regulatory requirements. Customs clearance is a transaction by which a declaration is prepared and the required documents are submitted to the authorities, and can only be performed by companies holding valid customs licenses, called customs brokers.
Export clearance can be done by a freight forwarder with a valid permit or an agent designated by the freight forwarder services. Alternatively, it can be done by a customs broker appointed directly by the shipper, who does not necessarily take another part in the shipping process. The export clearance step must be completed before the goods can leave the country of origin and, if not done by the freight forwarder, must often be completed before the goods enter the freight forwarders original warehouse.
How Long Does Freight Delivery Take?
When you are trying to estimate the time and cost it takes for you to ship your freight to your customers, several factors can impact the bottom line. Size, weight, modes, distance and even the time of year can affect the timeliness and price of getting your cargo to its final destination.
Your shipment’s start and endpoints can have significant effects on shipping time and cost. Generally, the greater the distance between the origin and destination, the more costly the trip.
Other factors, such as if the destination is near a major city center, can also influence time and cost. Whether your shipment is domestic or international can also impact which modes are available to you.
COVID-19
Because of the pandemic, air shipping rates have risen while ocean shipping rates have declined. This has made shipping by ocean more desirable and has paved the way for expedited ocean freight options. Research shows how ocean freight shipping lines can maximize satisfaction.
Conclusion
Freight transit times can be affected by a variety of factors. If you wish for a means of estimating the transit times of your freight, check out a freight transit time calculator to help you set a reasonable expectation for how long it will take your shipments to arrive.
