International trade, which involves the export and import of goods, depends on international shipping. Although moving freight from one place to another may seem simple, many steps must be accomplished before your cargo finally moves. The process involves the transfer of your goods along with the completion of some documentation. Technology has made the procedure simpler through the introduction of online container booking. You will get a quick overview of the entire process from this page.
- Completing the prerequisites
When you are looking to book a shipping container online, you need to fulfill some criteria. These standards often encompass every part of your cargo. You must specify the origin and destination of your items. Possibilities for freight shipment include LCL (Less than Container Load) and FCL (Full Container Load). Once you’ve decided on FCL freight shipment, you must decide on the quantity and type of containers.
The next step is to select the incoterms that outline the obligations of the buyers and sellers concerning fulfilling the conditions of the shipping sales contract.
- Choosing the service provider
After filling out the form, you can choose an appropriate freight service provider to carry your online container booking order. Worldwide, there are many freight forwarding companies. However, selecting an apt freight forwarder for container shipping from the various companies may be challenging. The best way to choose a reliable freight forwarder is to consider how they have handled problems like port closures, labor strikes, freight redirection, warehousing issues, etc. in the past.
- Reviewing the costs
The adaptability of online container booking gives you access to all consignment routes after you’ve chosen a freight forwarding service. You’ll discover that many shipping providers have unique transit timeframes and travel routes. Here, you can specify all the services you will require at the destination, such as port fees, delivery, pick-up, etc. Depending on the facilities you add or dismiss, the costs of these supplementary services will be automatically adjusted. The rates are by default arranged in such a way that it flashes the lowest price first. It can, however, be altered if needed. Choose the quotes that best satisfy your requirements before moving on to the billing information phase.
- Determine your needs for bills of lading
The process of shipping requires the use of bills of lading or B/Ls. This document is necessary for carrying out any kind of foreign transaction. It functions as a carriage agreement regardless of the type of cargo, be it air freight, land freight, or ocean freight.
- Deciding on your terms of payment
You can select the payment option that best suits your needs from the several that are offered. Net banking, using debit or credit cards, or wire transfer are some of the preferred options.
- Confirming the booking
Once you have completed the aforementioned procedures, you must verify all the information you have provided. Continue and confirm the shipment order after that. You may now follow the progress of your shipment through online tracking.
Conclusion
If everything goes well, your shipment will reach its destination within the given time.
