What Does a Sea Freight Forwarder Do During International Cargo Shipping?

In this article

Transportation of cargo to different countries must be carefully planned, particularly when the transportation is done via sea mode. Shippers have to take into consideration several factors, including the size of the cargo, shipping schedule, documentation, and other related factors before the cargo is shipped from the port. This will make the whole process of international transportation more convenient. Sea freight forwarders also play a significant role in such tasks.

What Is the Function of Sea Freight Forwarders?

The function of sea freight forwarders is that of helping companies in arranging their cargo shipments through the sea. In addition to the transportation through sea, there are some other activities included in the function of the freight forwarders.

This will depend on the contract, nature of shipment, and choice of services. There are companies that require assistance in the total delivery process, while some just want help with part of the international shipment.

Main Responsibilities During Sea Freight Shipping

• Planning the Shipment

All cargo transportation starts with identifying the cargo that needs to be transported. The nature of the cargo, volume, destination, and time preference will affect the arrangements.

Forwarding services for international shipping of goods by sea could provide assistance to business companies in finding a proper mode of transportation. It will be possible to use container transport for large shipments, whereas smaller cargo could be shipped via shared containers. Advanced planning allows a company to organise paperwork and make collection arrangements.

• Arranging Container Space

Generally, there are two major forms of containerisation used in ocean freight transport. They are known as Full Container Load (FCL) and Less than Container Load (LCL).

FCL refers to the use of a container by a shipper for their cargo, in accordance with the conditions of a shipping agreement. In the case of LCL, cargo from different shippers can be loaded into a single container.

FCL and LCL types of sea freight shipping provide different ways of cargo transportation.

• Coordinating Ports and Documentation

A sea shipment requires various papers and operations. These could be commercial invoices, packing lists, bills of lading, and customs-related details, depending upon the nature of the shipment.

A forwarder would be coordinating with various shippers, ports, customs, and other organisations involved in the transportation of goods.

It is necessary to have correct information, since the paperwork would depend upon various factors like destination, nature of goods, etc.

• Organising Delivery Beyond the Port

The transit does not finish once the ship arrives at the destination port, since there will still be some processes such as customs, unloading, and delivery to the end destination that will be done.

Sea freight door-to-door forwarding for international shipments can entail combining ocean transport with other logistics services depending on the scope and locations of interest.

Conclusion

Organisation of the shipping of goods by sea is not just about securing space on board a ship. Shipment planning, documentation, choice of containers, and arranging delivery form part of the process. Using the services of sea freight forwarding agents will help businesses organise this process depending on their cargo needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the role of a sea freight forwarder?

The function of a sea freight forwarder lies in the coordination of certain issues related to maritime transport of goods.

State the difference between FCL and LCL.

FCL means Full Container Load and LCL means Less than Container Load. An application of the container for one shipper’s cargo is considered as FCL and several cargoes may use a container in LCL.

What would be the estimated time to ship by sea freight?

It would depend on many different variables including itinerary, ports, etc. You could ask your shipping company the approximate transit time of your particular cargo.

Can I receive my sea freight right at my door?

It is possible since sometimes sea freight involves delivery right to the customer's address.

What should I provide to get a quote for my sea freight?

Some pieces of information which may help are type of cargo, its volume and weight, place of pick-up, place of delivery and other needs.