International Cargo Services India
/ By nauticalcargo / International • Logistic • Shipping/ 0 Comments

Important factors to consider while shipping Equipment & Machinery

Logistics involves dealing with shipping many varieties of cargo materials from small as well as large-sized goods. The challenge always lies in successfully transporting large and heavy weighted shipments for any International Cargo Shipping service provider. Transportation of machinery and equipment is one such category that poses a huge challenge to the logistics company just because of its size as well as the various requirements one has to look into for assuring a safe transit.

There are so many factors that need to be considered when shipping machinery and equipment. Hence a lot of research and preparedness goes into planning the transportation as one simple mistake can lead to huge damage both for the logistics company as well as the customers because of the high value of the equipment.

A professional and experienced logistics company will always assure its customers safe and zero damage transportation of such project cargos as such transportation showcases its ability as a logistics company.

Let us take a look at some of the most important aspects that one has to consider in achieving the smooth transportation of heavy equipment machinery and equipment.

Packaging :
It is imperative to say that usually a lot more packaging is required in the case of transporting machinery and equipment. Utmost importance should be given to packaging and many times carriers may even require all machinery to be fully crated. In the case where freight is deemed as improperly packed then it may lead to invalidation of carriers liability for any damage or losses that can occur during transit.

Choosing the mode of transportation:
Another very crucial factor is in choosing the mode of transportation. LTL shipping is one of the best solutions to be considered and any typical LTL freight may have 1-6 pallets or pieces. Also, LTL can facilitate in partial truckload solution that will allow us to move a particular shipment which is too large yet it may also be too small to pay for an entire truckload. For large shipments, you can always consider a full truckload shipment.

Get the best rates:
You need to get the best and accurate pricing while transporting shipments of this kind and for that one has to accurately provide the total weight of shipment which includes the packaging, the dimension of the shipment, and then to and fro zip codes.

Take insurance for your cargo:
Getting your cargo insured is not something that needs to be considered while transporting machinery but is a default requisite in the logistics industry. The only thing it is the more important while shipping such a category of goods and hence a thorough check on the freight policy and what it’s covered for the need to be done. Always consider opting for insurance that covers the full freight.

Final thoughts:
Logistics is never free from uncertainties and any shipment that needs to be transported via Air or Seas has to be well planned for any adversities during transit. Machinery and equipment are a category of shipments that has to be well packaged and transported with care to ensure minimum or no damage when it reaches its destination.

Coronavirus-in-India
/ By nauticalcargo / Logistic • Shipping/ 0 Comments

Impact of Corona virus on the industrial sectors of India

As the Coronavirus scare keeps on increasing every single day it continues to roil the global economy. Many countries have sealed their borders to prevent the spreading of the flu-like virus and like many sectors, the shipping industry has also taken a huge hit. The Indian logistics players have already started to feel the pinch as many are finding it difficult to keep the operational lines active.

The entire industry is facing multiple challenges as every single day situations are changing. The entire labor force has been asked to stay at home and many of them have already fled to their home towns. Also, industrial productions have come down which will largely impact the export sector.

Having mentioned this kind of scenarios it shall also be noted that in comparison with Europe and the United States where the virus has been spreading like wildfire, the situation in India is a little better. But in the worst-case scenario, the western nations will take time to get back to normalcy and this can also in a way affect the Indian Logistics sector.

It shall be understood that the impact on the supply chain are twofold and that poses the biggest challenge for the logistic industry:

  • First and foremost being the supply side as the shortages of raw materials and components is affected due to the transportation restrictions.
  • Secondly, the downstream demand is weakened and hence the production enterprises in the middle and upper streams are facing high inventory risks.

Let’s take a peek on some of the major areas that will have to bear the brunt of the deadly coronavirus epidemic.

MOST AFFECTED SECTORS IN INDIA:
One has to note that one of the major reasons why the Indian industry is impacted so much is because, of the top 20 products that India imports from the world, China accounts for a significant share in most of them.

Automobile Industry & OEM’s:
The current levels of inventory seem to be sufficient for us to survive but if China continues to be shut down for a longer time then it can result in a 10% contraction of the Indian Auto manufacturing industry this year. India’s OEMs (original equipment manufactueres) source critical components and sub-components that include fuel injection pumps, EGR modules and electronic components from China. Hence the impact will be extreme in the commercial vehicle, passenger vehicle and two-wheeler segments.

Chemicals & Textile Industry:
Many chemical plants are shut down in China and it is also going to impact us largely. With the restrictions on shipment and logistics, the estimated disruption of 20% in production is estimated. China is a major supplier of Indigo that is required for denim. There are also several garments and textile factories in China that have halted their operations which in turn will affect the export of fabric and raw materials from India. Globally India accounts for 10% of exports and this should also see a major decline in revenue as demand will fall in China, the US and Europe.

Electronics Industry:
One of the major suppliers for electronics in India is China, either as a final product or raw materials used in the electronic industry. The Indian electronic industry can face a major impact due to supply chain disruptions, production with lesser raw materials required for local manufacturing.

Tourism:
This is one sector that will take a long time to recover from the impact of the coronavirus and it is applicable throughout the globe. The very fact that social distancing is the only way to counter the virus spread will leave the tourism industry hue and dry for many months to come. There will be very few inflows of tourists from any country and people will keep away all their vacation and travel plans even after the epidemic dies down.

To give you a quick macro view together the trade impact is estimated to be the most for the chemicals and textile products followed by the automotive sector, electrical machinery, leather products, metals and metal products, and wood/ furniture products.

SECTORS THAT REMAINED UNTOUCHED:
The pandemic has initiated a stall to the economic activities and more so with yesterday’s 21-day lockdown announced by the Prime Minister. The recent infected numbers rising to 550 in India causing both demand and supply disruptions that will drastically slow down the Indian economy. As we have discussed some of the major industries that are heavily impacted there are also a few sectors that are not affected much. Three sectors that have remained untouched from the impact as of yet are as follows:

Telecom:
As the number of infections due to the coronavirus increases the government has urged the citizens of the country to stay at home and to undergo complete social distancing. In a way this is helping the telecom sector it is the only medium of communication left for the consumers. The consumption of data will see a sharp rise as people will resort to the various visual entertainment medium like Netflix, Amazon Prime and many more to pass off their time at home. Not only that many corporate sectors have asked their employees to work from home and this also will see the requirement for more data consumption. While China was under lockdown in January and February it should be noted that the revenue of telecommunications services rose 1.5 percent compared to last year. The same will be the case with the telecom sector in India as well. According to Rajiv Sharma, head of equity research and telecom analyst at SBICAP Securities, work from home and social distancing are expected to boost data usage by 10-15 percent in the home broadband and mobile space in India

Healthcare:
The impact of Covid-19 on Indian pharma is limited and one of the main reasons is that there are existing inventory levels across supply chains. But one cannot take this for granted as this can change any time depending on whether there will be supply shortages from China. India has a dependency on China for its raw material supplies and the global generic supply chain can remain unaffected if the pharmaceutical ingredient shipments from China start normalizing in a span of two to four weeks.

As of now, India is all set to spend nearly Rs10,000 crores to encourage companies to manufacture pharmaceutical ingredients domestically. The government has also taken necessary steps issuing guidelines for testing by private labs in the country and set price caps for the test as well as sanitizers. Also, national laboratories are roped in as the number of cases are on a rise.

Insurance:
This is another sector which seems to be less impacted because it is an under-penetrated sector. Moreover, it can also see a rise in more people resorting to buying health insurance, particularly so as The Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India has asked insurers to cover Covid-19 cases in their existing policies as well as ensure that they expeditiously attend to the coronavirus claims.

Final thoughts:
As we all across the globe fight against this terrible and deadly epidemic that has impacted many of our lives today it has sent concerning ripples across many industries. The world’s second-largest economy China has been brought down to their knees and is still fighting hard to getting a grip on the situation. In India, as we enter into the most critical stage of the spreading of the Corona virus, we still have to wait and see what comes our way and how well India will be able to cope up with the many transport disruptions and lockdowns that will happen in the days to come. All said it is our lives that matter the most and sit tight, safe and stay at home.

/ By nauticalcargo / Freight Forwarding • Logistic • Shipping • Storage/ 0 Comments

The logistics sector in India for the year 2020 and the key areas that will drive significant growth.

Logistics is one such sector which has seen constant evolution over the past few years and is on a fast-paced growth in recent times. There is an upward trend in the global market and the same can also be said about the Indian Logistics Sector.

It won’t be wrong to say that the Indian logistics sector and the Logistics company in India is competing with many global logistics players of the most affluent countries. There is a great potential for improvements in many areas of logistics in India and hence this is the best time to understand the specific domains where one can invest time, money and efforts to achieve maximum growth.

Current scenario :
The growth rate of the Indian Logistics sector today is interconnected to every industry and has got integrated with technology and newer service providers. According to the latest world logistics index rankings based on the global logistics performance index, India has moved to the 35th rank from the 54th in the year 2014.

It is imperative to say that the Indian Logistics industry is the backbone of our economy and has shown massive improvement over the years. The Indian logistics industry in the year 2019 has been considered as the most promising and a year that has seen the quickest growth rates.

Based on official statistics the growth rate in 2019 can be largely attributed to the increasing number of e-commerce providers. It can be undoubtedly said that people have already started relying hugely on e-commerce for almost all their requirements and the same is said to continue in 2020 as well.

If we have to go by numbers, in the year 2019 the Indian logistics industry was valued at $160 Billion and with the present growth rates it is expected to be roughly around $250 Billion in the present year.

E-commerce has also attracted many FMCG and multinational companies into this space and has started creating many opportunities for the logistics industry to grow. Some of the areas which have had a direct impact are the inventory management and warehousing solutions of the retail industry. It has forced the retailers to find efficient warehousing solutions that facilitate better storage and also more responsive means of deliveries.

No wonder the Indian logistics industry which provides employment to more than 22 million people has shown a CAGR of 7.8 percent over the past five years and is expected to surge to 40 million by the end of 2020.

This is also because many companies are relying on the Indian logistics industry to help them better serve the ever-growing customized demands of Indian consumers. This is a very promising aspect of the current economy and in a way creates more jobs in the logistics sector.

Let us check out some of the key areas that will bring in substantial changes and development for logistics growth in 2020 :

Technology to be the backbone of Logistics :
Technology is going to be the driving force for many industries that will put businesses on a growth path and that too at faster paces. Technology in the industry has already started providing huge progress in the operational as well as various systems. Hence it won’t be wrong to say that technology is going to be the backbone of the economy that will be a primary tool in making it stronger and reliable.

Though adopting technology might be expensive but in the long run, it is going to give you more integrated, swift and error-free logistics operations. Technology such as AI, BlockChain, Machine Learning, and IoT are going to be implemented not just as a collection of fancy gadgets but as a means and methods to build a more robust foundation logistics in India.

Assurance of Indian Government for better infrastructural developments :
There has been a constant assurance from the Indian government about implementing more modernized and improved functional infrastructural development projects in Logistics. It has also assured that innovative measures will be introduced to help tap rural sectors as well. Projects as such will not only bring in more efficiency in the supply chain but also improve connectivity issues faced by geographically dispersed areas in the country.

Companies will be able to reach more untapped rural terrains and get a much wider customer base to serve in particular for the e-commerce sector. This, in turn, will be a huge opportunity for the Indian Logistics Industry.

Newer Policies & Regulations :
There are a lot of promising policy changes and reformations that are being planned and introduced by the government. The Goods and Service Tax (GST) was one such policy that has changed the face of the way the Indian logistics works. Along with this is the granting of the infra status and relaxing of the FDI policies that will also play a major role in 2020 that will give a huge boost to the Indian Logistics industry.

One of the major advantages the GST has brought in is that industrial centers can also act as distribution and aggregation hubs and that in effect has reduced the need to run several warehouses. This has considerably also brought down huge operational expenses in the storage department. With the growth of E-commerce and many FMCG now making their products available online easier transportation directly from the manufacturing units to the warehouses, wholesale as well as retail markets have been made possible.

FINAL THOUGHTS :
The Indian Logistics industry has undergone a serious transformation and is now classified as an end to end solution provider that has integrated multiple sectors. The year 2020 seems to be very promising with many key areas that are going to contribute to the substantial improvements both in operational efficiencies as well as overall growth. There is no doubt that the Indian Logistic Industry is going to be the most dominant force in the overall economic growth of the country.

Phamaceutical Transportation
/ By nauticalcargo / Freight Forwarding • Logistic • Shipping • Transport/ 0 Comments

Special key points to know while shipping Pharma products

Pharmaceuticals globally is a big business and industry as according to the recent statistics nearly 4.5 million Americans are employed in this sector alone. It is also worth noting that the Bio-Pharmaceutical industry in the US contributes to around 1.3 trillion to the world economy every single year and it keeps growing. Hence one can imagine the demand and the scale of operations involved to supply such a large requirement globally.

Shipping pharmaceutical products is not a cakewalk as it requires special know-how because mostly they are of high sensitivity in nature and have to be delivered in a time-bound manner.

They are the most complex than any other product to be shipped and hence involves a lot of guidelines and regulations that need to be followed and adhered to. After all, it is medicines that are to be shipped which is ultimately consumed by people for their medical ailments.

One of the key factors that makes it such a complex operation is that the pharmaceutical products are to be kept safe and beneficial to the end-user after the transportation is carried out. This involves immaculate planning and checks where proper inspection and care has to be assured from the factory to the point of delivery about the integrity and quality of the product. Both the pharmaceutical industry as well as the shipping industry have to work under tight regulations and scrutiny while carrying out the transportation operations.

Various factors play a major role in assuring the safe and secure transportation of pharma products to the end consumers.

Maintain Pharmaceutical Temperatures: One of the key concerns while transporting pharma products is the temperature to be maintained. The desired temperature that needs to be maintained is around 55 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit for most of the shipments to maintain product stability. Hence products must be shipped in contained that are well insulated in refrigerated trucks that can maintain these temperatures even if the normal weather is hot. The cold chain also known as reefer trucks can be used as they are designed to hold such temperatures.

The packaging is very crucial: Another very important rule when shipping pharma products it the quality of packaging. Packaging has to be thoroughly inspected and has to be shipped in climate-controlled trucks and insulated containers. Many a time shippers use thermal pallets when moving such products as they can provide another layer of protection. They protect the product from temperature fluctuations, sunlight as well as humidity.

Security a major concern: This is one material where utmost importance has to be given to security arrangements as pharma cargo is always susceptible to theft. This is because of the nature of the product that is shipped and hence faces notable dangers. Cargo thefts are real threats, especially when hauling products like narcotics. A well-experienced logistics provider can foresee and manage all such treats to keep pharma products safe. All warehouses today are equipped with state of the art CCTV cameras and with higher visibility of cargo transportation via tracking one can ensure that the pharma products are securely transported to their destinations.

Proper adherence to licenses: As already mentioned there are a lot of rules and regulations while transporting pharma products hence it is important that the logistics provider who has been entitled the job has all the proper licenses. Not only that the logistics company has to be competent to handle all the tasks involved to ensure safety with the necessary types of equipment. Not only pharmaceuticals are delicate but expensive as well and hence special precautions have to be carried out while shipping.

Summary: Logistics can be about any product both domestic household items or high-value cargo. Though every shipment has to be transported securely and on time Pharmaceutical is one such product that needs to be handled with utmost diligence and care. Afterall many times these products can be life-saving.

Cargo in Monsoon
/ By nauticalcargo / Logistic • Shipping • Transport/ 0 Comments

Prolonged rains have warranted for special cargo precautions

Though the recent rains have been much relief for many after the terrible hot summers it has also been a great area of concern due to the hazards the rains have caused. With such unpredictable and prolong rains across the country one of the major industries that are affected is logistics. 

In such scenarios, it is imperative to say that all the necessary precautions have to be planned and taken while transporting cargo goods to avoid all kinds of damages due to rains.

There are many restrictions in place while transporting your cargo especially when your cargo gets wet. Wet cargo may invariably not be allowed into the warehouse to protect the existing goods. 

Hence it is imperative to say that your one has to think ahead during the monsoon seasons and all the necessary measures have to be taken to pack your cargo in the full proof manner.

To help you out we have listed down a quick important precautions points that need to be kept in mind and implemented while carting your cargo and which will also help you t avoid last-minute hassles.

Proper Carting :

A good method is to see to it that your cargo is carted withing the shed premises. This gives you the protection from rainwater and hence rest assured that your cargo is dry before it is packaged.

Good Packaging:

Packing is one of the most important aspects of your logistics delivery process and your cargo has to be adequately packed, palletized. A better idea would be to shrink wrap your goods well that will help in preventing your cargoes from getting damp and wet.

Use Best Packing materials:

One has to use the best packing material particularly when your cargo has to braze the sea. Ensure that your inner, as well as external packing of the cartons, are proper and strong to avoid any damage caused due to rainwater seepages.

Fumigation is important:

It is customary that all your wooden cases and pallet are fumigated which will prevent any molds, moistures, and dampness to the cases.

On-time customs clearances:

It is but natural to have traffic snarls as well as customs clearance delays due to port congestions, especially during the monsoon seasons. Hence to avoid the same you must plan your shipment on time and your cargo transported, carted and customs cleared well in advance.

Summary :

These are some of the few tips that can be noted and kept in mind while transporting your cargo during the monsoons as this is one season that posts a hell of a challenge to the logistics operations. 

For any of your customs clearances and logistics requirements, you can get in touch with our experts now at info@nauticalcargo.in

Reverse Logistics - Nautical Cargo
/ By nauticalcargo / Logistic • Shipping • Transport • Warehouse/ 0 Comments

What is Reverse Logistics and how can you effectively manage it.

Logistics is a complex business with many unforeseen events propping up which needs to be handled immediately. One such event which needs to be finely addressed and planned is Reverse Logistics. To understand the importance of this growing logistics operations it is worth diving into some of the latest statistics concerning reverse logistics.

According to the latest information from Statistica in the US alone the return deliveries are estimated to cost $550 billion by the year 2020 which is approximately 75% more compared to the previous four years figures. With the arrival of the E-commerce era, Reverse Logistics has been of extreme importance more so in a scenario where physical retailers have been replaced by online providers and sellers whose sales had predictively touched around $414 million in the year 2018.

What is reverse logistics?

To clearly define reverse logistics in the simplest ways, it stands for all related operations where goods need to be returned from the place of consumption to the place of their origin. This sounds strange as rather for any logistic operation aimed to deliver the goods to the final customer this is a reverse of what should be happening. Precisely why such operations in logistics is termed to be reverse logistics. Now let’s understand the reason for such a different kind of operation and the need of the day which has seen it evolving so fast recently.

Managing reverse logistics is not a thing of ease as we are trying to address a situation where the shipper needs to handle a disappointed customer who wants to return the goods purchased for probably a replacement. Hence basically the shipper or the 3PL agent has to retrieve the product and needs to ship the item back to the hub. The return can be due to a few reasons being damaged product or an item which does not satisfy the customer. This has to be precisely accessed which is the key in initiating a counter shipping operation.

Hence, to put it more precisely, reverse logistics is the process of moving the goods from the final destination or consumption for the sole purpose of either disposing of, remanufacturing, refurbishing or reinitiating a similar replacement order to the customer. It also includes the process of the management of surplus of products which are left as returned. It is worth to be noted that in the online retailing business at least 30% of all products ordered are returned in comparison with almost 8.89% products which are purchased in brick and mortar shops.

Reverse logistics can also be taken as a source of accessing the quality of the products and the efficiency of the operations of all parties involved as this is a direct indicator of how much your customer is satisfied with the product and the delivery operations. Hence one needs to address this with accurate planning and as far as possible to avoid it as items which fall under the reverse logistics can become a big source of concern to any organisations profits.

Having understood the importance of reverse logistics it should also be noted that with a good reverse logistics process in place companies not only be able to track returns but also get the desired value from the returned products. To implement a successful reverse logistics process the following points can be followed:

Real-time monitoring and tracking facility:

The company should have a very viable and state of the art process and platform that facilitates its customers to return the product with ease. The platform should have proper data capture points that will help to categories the products to be returned as damaged, defective or scenarios where a product needs to be replaced with a new one. This will give the shipper or the 3PL agency to ship back the product to their desired origin based on this categorisation also with the help of the real-time monitoring capabilities to ensure the product reaches its origin.

Engage with the best warehouse and distribution centers:

One of the many important factors that should be taken into consideration and aptly engaged is that of the warehouse management services and distribution centers. Reverse logistics is all about getting the product once delivered to the endpoint of consumption back to the original point. Hence one needs to strategically decide on the return and collection centers and have more than one collection centers based on the category of the goods returned to access and estimate the quantum of damaged goods or the ones that have to be replaced for redistribution.

Customer communication:

Any industry which is doing business that directly satisfies its customer’s, communication is of top importance. Reverse logistics is not of any difference as especially in this kind of processes one has to give utmost heed to the queries of the customers. Let us not forget reverse logistics is all about an unsatisfied customer who wants to return the products delivered. Hence to gain trust companies have to communicate constantly with its customers and need to listen to queries raised by the customers with possible and quick solutions which will leave them delighted.

Partner with a good 3PL logistics provider:

Logistics is a very complex industry and reverse logistics is one such operation which is very much complex. One needs to have a separate logistics department with an able human resource team to handle the reverse logistics services with a state of the art technologically equipped platform to manage all the data involved. Many companies have started outsourcing their reverse logistics operations to 3rd party logistics vendors that are well equipped in providing the much needed real-time tracking of the reverse shipments and have the best human resources to ensure the proper flow of goods to the origin. This not only reduces the investments involved but also will ensure the effective return management process.

Summary:

In an industry and business scenario where E-commerce has established itself as the driving factor for any seller, one has to indulge in identifying the problem areas to generate apt solutions. Return of goods is one of the most pertinent concerns and companies must have a solid game plan to reduce operational costs and time lags involved in reverse logistics. Ultimately the goal is to satisfy the customers in the best and fastest way possible.

freight forwader and customs brokers
/ By nauticalcargo / Freight Forwarding • Shipping/ 0 Comments

Difference between a freight forwarder and customs broker.

Freight forwarder and Customs brokers are two entities which play an integral part in carrying out logistics operations. Logistics is a very complex industry with multiple transit destinations and ports as mostly the transportation of cargo and goods have to be transported via international waters or air spaces. Hence it is always a collaboration of people, agents, and providers that have to contribute and make it happen.

Let us begin by first defining freight forwarder and customs brokers to get a better perspective of their job descriptions.

Freight Forwarder: A freight forwarder or a forwarding agent also commonly known as NVOCC, Non-vessel operating common carrier, is a person or a company that organizes shipments or individuals or corporations to get foods from the manufacturer or producer to either a market, customer or an end destination for the purpose of distribution.

As we read through the above definition it can be understood that forwarders are experts who are well connected with the supply chain and are completely dedicated to the physical transportation of cargo. Hence freight forwarder is a wide-ranging term that can also include activities engaging various third-party entities required in the exporting process who handles or are experts in shipment moving via truck, boat, plane or even a combination of all of these.

A freight forward is also involved in consolidating and completing various documentation as well as compliances required for the export activities. Here it would be better to elaborate on the fact that we can find many freight forwarders who are also customs brokers as well but it is essential to mention here that customs brokers cannot become freight forwarders.

Customs Brokers: A customs broker is a licensed agent whose primary function is to handle the process of clearing goods through the customers for importers. They act as an intermediary between the importer and the government customs department in the country for import and can be a private individual, partnership, association or corporation.

Brokers submit all necessary information, documents and appropriate payments to the customs on behalf of their clients and charge them a fee for their services. They must have expertise in the entry procedures, admissibility requirements, classification, valuation, and the rates of duty and applicable taxes and fees for imported merchandise.

Customs brokers are very specific in their services and also learn that an exporters freight forwarder can work in tandem with the customs brokers in order to help facilitate issues with an export transaction.

As can already be understood from the definition freight forwarding or freight forwarder is a very wide-ranging term and customs brokers are more specific when it comes to service deliverance.

Some of the key services provided by a Freight Forwarder is as follows :

  • Trading Transportation
  • All cargo pickup and drop in.
  • Negotiate freight charges
  • Getting all documents readied for exports and shipments.
  • Booking of necessary warehouse facilities
  • Dealing with the required cargo insurances.
  • Providing freight collection services.

Key services offered by customs brokers :

  • Customs valuation
  • Customs clearance.
  • International trade consultations
  • Tariff classifications
  • Dealing with all automated customs clearances.
  • Freight Management
  • Import and Export purchase order management.

SUMMARY: By now it is clear the difference of both these key entities in the logistics industry and the areas where both can converge in providing their services to customers, it is always essential that a good logistics partner will reduce a lot of your operational burdens. Having a good freight forwarder and a customs broker or even a company which provide you both these services are of utmost importance and invaluable as shipping can be the most difficult and a rigorous affair when you don’t have an expert to handle it.
Freight Container Services
/ By nauticalcargo / Cargo • Export • International • Logistic • Moving • Shipping • Transport/ 0 Comments

Important tips for loading export items into a freight container

Almost anything can be stored and exported in a container. If someone visits any large port today, then at a glance nobody can describe what kind of products are being shipped. Because all types of products are being exported in large rectangular containers. These containers are particularly useful for transporting manufactured goods.

Nowadays containerization is a very common practice for exporting goods. Containerization has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of containerization are it reduces the logistic cost and also fewer workers are needed for loading and unloading the containers. Also, less time is required for loading and unloading. But this practice of containerization also includes technical challenges as only the responsible person knows the type of goods and the condition of the products for shipment.

The decision for choosing the process of loading a container can be divided into two steps.

  1. Choosing the required type of container.
  2. How to load the container with merchandise/products.

The required type of container:-
The decision while choosing the required type of container totally depends on the type of products to be exported.

There are six types of containers that are available.

  • General purpose containers: These types of containers are most commonly available. Each container is fully closed and also features full-width doors at one end for access. These types of containers are used for transporting both liquid and solid substances.
  • Refrigerated containers: These types of containers are used for carrying those products which require refrigeration during transit.
  • Dry bulk containers: These types of containers are used for carrying dry powder and granular substances.
    Open top/open sided containers: These types of containers are used for carrying heavy and unusual sized products.
  • Liquid cargo containers: These types of containers are used for carrying liquid substances.
  • Hanger containers: These types of containers are used for carrying the garments on hangers.

How to load the container with merchandise/products:-

Just after deciding the type of container to be used the next step is to complete the task of loading the products. This process also can be divided into three steps.

At first, it is required to check and examine the freight container’s physical condition before starting the task of loading the merchandise. One must have to check that no placard should be left behind from earlier cargo to avoid confusion. Also, they have to make sure that there must not be any type of holes and if the container is repaired then it is also required to check the repair quality.

Secondly, pre-planning must be done before exporting products by using freight containers. The total weight of the product must be spread across the entire length and width of the container. Also, they should take care while packing goods. Wet and dry goods must be packed separately and heavy packages must not be placed over light packages. Also, they must have to fill the free space in the container so that the goods must not move during shipment.

The last step is to check the container after loading the cargo or goods. The total weight and labeling must be checked before exporting. Also, they need to check the packaging of the products.

LCL Logistic Services
/ By nauticalcargo / Cargo • Logistic • Shipping • Transport • Warehouse/ 0 Comments

E-Commerce the definite road ahead for Logistics

Before going further with the topic and relating e-commerce with logistics, let us have a quick review of what e-commerce and logistics actually means. E-commerce is the new marketplace for the current generation. It is an electronic platform or best to say an Electronic marketplace from where you would be able to sell and buy everything that you want, starting from daily grocery to exclusive electronic appliances all under one single roof.

On the other hand, logistics refer to everything that a business operates and manages from the starting point wherein products are collected and consolidated till the point the product reaches the end consumers which can vary from residential consumers to even corporate houses.

E-Commerce today is largely depended on the operations of the logistics company as a perfect partner not only to deliver the goods to the end party but also to act as a provider of perfect LCL logistics services which also includes warehousing capabilities to stock product a large number of products. A quick understanding of how e-commerce can prove to be the definite road ahead for logistics.

Relating the two E-commerce business depends on serving customers and catering to their consumable requirements. The things that you choose from an e-commerce website needs to get delivered to you at the correct time and in the best possible shape. This is where logistics comes into the picture even much before that. The product that you choose to buy from an e-commerce website has to go through several processes before it finally reaches you.

E-Commerce being just a platform or a window to the products available for purchase it is the ability and planning of the logistics company to fulfill the order thereby catering to all the needs of the customers and satisfying them to a full extent most importantly with a prompt and reliable delivery. This can be achieved only via a proper and credible logistic provider.

Hence its imperative to say that with the kind of business growth seen in the retail business coupled with the flourishing use of E-commerce as the best technological platform it would mean that more growth is progressing towards the logistics business as well.

The Cycle of e-commerce and logistics is well integrated with the logistics industry and it surely hugely depends on the logistics operations for its success. From a consumers perspective, all he/she does is to place an order for an item from an e-commerce website and all that is expected is a timely delivery and cost benefits.

When the delivery person comes to a customer’s doorstep in order to deliver their product then that delivery person becomes the face of the e-commerce company, so it is very important for any e-commerce company to have an efficient logistics system in place. Hence for their own good, the e-commerce companies sometimes themselves develop their own logistics division so as to monitor everything from their end and do everything necessary like improving the software, training more people and introducing many efficient techniques which would, in turn, help their operations. But it is not necessary and vialble for every E-commerce company to have their own logistics system and in such scenarios, they tie up with one, so that they can make the process of delivery more smooth and efficient for the customer.

Many Investments are done in this partnership so that the logistic company can improve their technical and human resource aspect so that the company would be able to improve their business and incomes and in return, they would invest more in the logistics.

It is the best time in business today as we are witnessing many new players bring up their E-commerce sites to sell a variety of products to the consumers thereby giving more leverage and opportunities to many logistics companies. Without a doubt, E-commerce is here to stay and transportation companies have to get well equipped to meet the growing challenges in such a big opportunity.

Important Export Documents
/ By nauticalcargo / Export • Logistic • Shipping/ 0 Comments

Important Export documents you should know

Its been business time and you are excited about cracking the deal having found the precise buyers for your products offshore. What’s next in your mind is sure to find out the best ways and means to deliver your products to your customers. For those who have been in business for quite a while now are quite familiar about the procedures and various intricacies involved in delivering goods but it won’t be the same for many who have just started doing business in particular to buyers outside one’s country.

A lot of time and effort is involved in planning the delivery of your goods especially when you have to move your goods which will have to cross foreign waters.  You have to prepare for the shipment of goods to a foreign buyer which will be based on certain specific terms and agreements.  As your goods need to cross borders on foreign waters there are certain key documents which are essentials to support the export of goods from one country to another. Hence it is very important to understand these documents to carry out any export of goods. A few key documents are as follows:

    • Bill of Lading: This is one of the most important and common documents one comes across and is used in every international shipping, also a must know. The document normally will contain what goods are to be shipped, the origin and the destinations of the goods and once the shipment is picked this document will serve as a receipt which will be issued by the carrier.
    • Certificate of Origin: Basically this document is used to identify the country where the goods have been manufactured or made. It is prepared by the manufacturer and is certified by the respective government entity responsible or the chamber of commerce.
    • Commercial Invoice: This is a document which will have the entire export transaction which will also include the shipping terms once your international sale is complete and the goods are ready to ship out. This can be considered as one of the most important document as it provides all critical information and instructions to all the parties involved in the transaction.
    • Consular Invoice: This document is generally not required in all the countries and is a form which is available through the consular representative of the country you are shipping to. The document certifies the shipment of goods.
    • Dock Receipts: This is a document which is a receipt which is used to provide exporter with a proof that the delivery of goods to the international carrier was successful and was in good condition.
    • Inspection Certificate: A very credible certificate that is done with perishable, industrial equipment or meat products and it certifies that the items received are in good condition and the shipment contained the exact quantity.
    • Insurance Certificate: As liability and losses are always a major concern to the exporters its imperative that the goods or shipment are well covered under insurances. This document certifies that you have bought an insurance policy for the cargo.
    • Packing List: Though this seems to be similar to the shipping list a packing list will have the goods being shipping, all information on how the goods are packed, numbered and the weight and height dimensions. It is also an important document which is used by freight forwarders in order to prepare the bill of lading.

If you have any consultations required for Export Shipping and Logistics transportation then we have a very committed team of professionals to help you out. You can get in touch with us at Nautical Cargo any time of the day or drop it an Email to info@nauticalcargo.in