Are you the owner of a business? If you are, you’ll know how much you can expect to spend on shipping. Whether you are importing or exporting goods, you must understand your role and responsibilities when dealing with global trade and transportation via the sea.
In the case of eCommerce businesses, you may have to ship your product to different countries and deliver it to the customer’s home. However, if you do this, you may make a few mistakes along the way.
Moreover, by understanding these mistakes, you will become more informed about shipping orders, thus making your customers’ experience more satisfying. It is beneficial to your business and will protect your reputation simultaneously.
Table of Contents
Freight class and weight are wrong.
Though freight class and weight are part of the BOL, they should have their list because listing them wrong can have serious consequences. For example, an incorrect freight class or weight estimate will cost you extra; the same goes for estimating weight without a weighing station.
Shipping companies like FA Transport Company Canberra usually list their shipments in the lowest possible class since lower classes mean lower prices. However, if they make a mistake, the reclassification charge will be greater than the margin change.
Some people don’t think it’s a big deal, but if you transport hundreds or thousands of freight a year, those extra costs can add up fast. Further, it hurts a brand’s image and reputation.
Inaccurate Bill of Lading
Whenever a freight shipment is made, a Bill of Lading is a required document. This legally binding document contains all information necessary for both driver and carrier concerning the shipment’s details.
The Bill of Lading includes
- of units in the shipment
- Date of the shipment
- The exact weight of the shipment
- Type of packaging
- Description of the items being shipped, such as name and material of manufacture.
- Purchase order or particular account number
- A note (if necessary) regarding potentially hazardous material
- Full name and addresses of Consignee and shipper
Many make these mistakes, including adding incorrect items, not providing specific information, etc. Therefore, you must consider these factors and engage in the services of reputed Freight people.
Avoiding Palletizing
Although palletizing requires time and work, it is preferable to having a loose stack of products that can move around and be damaged while transported. Also, most LTL carriers won’t let you ship without a pallet. Instead, they’ll palletize your products and charge you for them if you don’t. Although this is a negotiating subject, doing it yourself will cost you far less.
If you do not palletize your shipments, it can cause significant problems for your supply chain. For example, your products can become damaged during shipping, and tracking your inventory will be more difficult. Besides, your customers may not be able to receive their orders on time if your shipments are delayed.
Not researching the custom procedure.
Shipping a product on a national border differs from shipping it internationally. Every country has rules and regulations, and if you import the product, you must understand the procedure first.
You must follow all legal steps to ensure supply chain problems will not arise. It will help if you research the export and import rules of the country where you are shipping, so you will not end up not getting the shipment delivered. Many people make this mistake and fail to research this issue, which becomes a problem.
Not buying the freight insurance.
Individuals can make a huge mistake if they fail to purchase freight insurance. What if your product is damaged during transport? Who will be responsible for that? Worrying about any of these issues is unnecessary if you have freight insurance.
There’s no need to worry about how bad the condition gets; you can recover. For this reason, you should ensure that you buy freight insurance.
Final Words
Knowing more about shipping mistakes will make it easier for you to avoid them in the future. But unfortunately, it is very common for people to commit these foolish mistakes, which is why it is essential to ensure everything is done correctly before shipping the process to prevent any mishap in the future.
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