Enormous growth in the economic conditions of every nation can be contributed to its international trade essentially because countries no longer believe in being self-sustained but are rather more open to utilising each other's resources to their maximum benefit.
Freight forwarding thus has become an important contributor to such growth and a basic requirement of every company. Some important facts that must be kept in mind when referring to the same are:
1. Freight forwarding can be done via the different modes of transportation namely air, water, rail or road using carriers like airplanes, ships, railroads and trucks depending on the size of freight and destination of delivery.
2. Sea freight is the preferred mode for transportation of bulky freight over long distances as it is the most practical, safe and inexpensive option when compared to other modes.
3. The chosen mode for forwarding freight that is required on an urgent basis is the airplane. Such freight is usually smaller and includes important documents or samples of products that are required to be manufactured on a large scale.
4. Freight forwarding is subject to its own set of problems like the possibility of damage to goods while in the transit mode. While such damages can be avoided by ensuring right packaging of goods, they can lead to huge financial losses if not given attention.
5. Another problem that can be faced while forwarding freight is the pilferage or theft of goods in transit mode. This can also lead to major losses and though it is not completely avoidable, chances of such occurrences are low and can be prevented by avoiding specification of brand names on packages.
6. Freight forwarding for bulky items is best done in containers which come in standardized sizes and ensure safety of goods. Containers are the best solution for intermodal freight forwarding as they not only protect goods from damage by multiple handling but also completely eliminate any chance of pilferage.
7. Freight forwarding requires on the part of exporters a number of compulsory legal and security processes. Also, exporters need to be aware of import rules and regulations of foreign countries and all activities related to international freight forwarding.
8. Any negligence with regard to important documentation or freight forwarding requirements can lead to confiscation of the entire lot of goods sent by exporters and result in huge financial loss. Thus, freight forwarding is an essential business activity given utmost importance.
9. Freight forwarders are a safe bet when considering international freight transportation as certified forwarders are well educated regarding right packing, cheapest costs, cargo insurance and all such factors that ensure safety and prompt delivery of cargo.
10. Freight forwarders assist manufacturers and exporters in more ways than one as they take complete responsibility of the forwarding process and handle all legal and documentation processes, thus making it an easy task for clients.
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So you want to join the merchant navy as an officer? You've heard all those stories about being paid to visit foreign countries, haven't you? What about the girl in every port stories? And you must have been told about the exciting life we sailors lead, right? Are these stories true? Do you think you have it in you to sail the high seas? Well, I am here to tell you about the REAL merchant navy - some of the stories you've heard are true, some are not. I have been sailing for the past 30 years including 13 years as Captain so I am giving you an inside view.
Before we begin, let me first clarify something, the merchant navy isn't the same as the Indian navy. Merchant ships carry cargo as the name suggests, we are not the fighting navy. The cargo could be containers, oil, passengers, animals, bulk ore etc.
So what is the big attraction of the merchant navy? Usually two things come to mind - money and foreign travel. There are other benefits like tax free income, quick promotions and an exciting life. But the good salary is the main temptation. You get fat pay checks and you don't pay tax (if you stay out of the country for more than 6 months in a financial year). You start earning a big salary at a very young age. To give you an example, the starting salary for a 22 year old 3rd officer or 4th engineer (junior most officers on board ships) on an oil tanker is more than 2000 $ per month (conservatively speaking). This amount depends on the type of ship and the company you join so don't quote me! Officers normally work on a contract basis. Junior officers do 4-6 month contracts, while senior officers do 3 to 4 months on board. Some companies pay salaries round the year while others pay you only while you sail. However, your annual salary will remain the same. Why do ship owners pay you such high wages (relatively speaking)? There has to be a catch, right? The catch is, you stay away from home for extended periods of time. In fact you spend most of your time at sea rather than on land. Sure you get to visit foreign countries but things have changed now. Its not as if you reach a port and everyone goes ashore.
Work continues with every officer / crew member working in shifts (watches as we call them). You are free to go ashore once you have completed your watch but don't forget that you have to come back from your shore leave and work again. So, you either sleep or you go ashore. Work on a ship, never stops. As long as the ship is doing something - sailing, loading / discharging cargo, it's making money for the ship owner. Port stays have gone down considerably so the ship is in port for a short time. Of course, this depends on the type of ship you are on. Container ships are in port for a few hours (YES few hours), oil tankers for 24 hrs, cargo ships and bulk carriers stay longer in port. Watches in port are usually on a 6 on 6 off basis, 6 hours on duty, 6 hours off duty, and then you are back to work. Hence you cannot go ashore in every port because you need to rest sometime. The ship owner is paying you to stay on board, not to go ashore! Its not all bad news, you do get to go ashore and do some shopping and maybe sight seeing. Ports are normally far away from civilization. Travelling to and fro takes up time and is not cheap.
With visa restrictions post 9/11, many countries will not let you stay back for a holiday after you complete your tenure on your ship. So now you know why the ship owner pays you so much. You are being paid for staying away from family and home, you are being paid for long stints at sea and hardly any chance to go ashore. By the way, the girl in every port stories you have heard are pure myths!!! You will not get time to meet girls and if you do meet girls then they will be the wrong kind. On the positive side, some companies do allow officers (usually senior officers) to carry their family (wife / kids) with them but not girl friends!
No problem you say, I can handle everything, just as long as I get paid well. That's just fine, as long as you are aware of what you are getting into. Expect to work with a multinational crew. Expect multinational cuisine. Expect cultural differences, your Captain could be from U.K. while the other officers / crew could be from Philippines, India, Croatia, Bangladesh or some other country. This variety means that you may not have much in common with them. You might have to spend time alone in your cabin. Can you handle being by yourself? Of course, it might be possible that you are lucky and you get along with everyone, in which case you will enjoy yourself soaking in the various cultures. Or you could be luckier and get to sail with a majority of your nationality. It all depends on the company you work for. During your leisure time you can watch movies, play indoor games (cards, carom etc), work out in the gym (most ships have one) or just relax in your cabin. Most companies allow officers to send emails home and receive them. Of course, there are restrictions on the number and size of emails after all, satellites are used for transmitting/receiving emails. You will get snail mail (conventional paper letters) when the ship touches port but usually not more than once a month. Lately, bigger companies offer internet facilities on board so sailors aren't as isolated as before. Mobile phone sims can be picked up locally as well so you can call home whenever you are in a port.
Now we come to work. Each type of ship requires specialised crew. Each department on board a ship has different duties - the deck department looks after the navigation and loading / discharging of cargo while the engine department looks after maintenance of various machines. Life on board every ship is not the same. Some ships are old so you need to work harder to keep them running. Some ships are newer and are easier to work on. Oil tankers, gas carriers need special training and experience. Container ships and bulk carriers have similarly experienced crew. While at sea, officers generally do 4 on 8 off - 4 hours duty and 8 hours off. This does not mean that after you finish your 4 hours of duty, you can go to sleep. No, you might have to work on other things like maintenance of machinery/equipment. Normally officers and crew work 10 hour days. This is a general statement and is not a hard and fast rule. Work loads increase considerably, when ships are in port. Officers and crew are on watches throughout the day and night. There is no weekend for them - there is no such thing as a public holiday. If one officer falls sick, then the other officers on board share his duties until he is fit again. Normally ships do not carry doctors on board unless you are on a passenger ship. Ships carry medicines and all officers are trained for first aid / medical emergencies. Whenever ships touch port, medical treatment can be provided ashore.
Another aspect to think about is the weather. Ships do run into bad weather (read storms). Even the biggest ship is but a toy when up against the fury of the sea. Sea sickness is not something to be scoffed at. Before you take up a career at sea you had better make sure that you don't get sea sick. Take a trip on a boat to get the feel of things.
Right...now you are aware of various aspects of the merchant navy, money, foreign travel, life on board, work and rest hours, medical facilities, weather etc. What? You still want to join the merchant navy? Bravo!! We need guys just like you - guys who join with their eyes open, guys who don't have wrong ideas about a career at sea. So how do you go about joining the merchant navy? Information is available on the net. In addition, you can keep an eye out for advertisements in major newspapers.
A word of caution, don't be in a hurry to hand over money to some agent who assures you of a job at sea. Check his credentials; check the credentials of the company or training institution you intend to join. Preferably, find someone who is already at sea and who can guide you. This is one profession where a mentor is always a good idea.
I have been sailing for the past 30 years including 13 years as Captain. To me the merchant navy is wonderful. It has given me everything I dreamed of and wanted in life. Life on board ships isn't easy but its not as bad as it is made out to be sometimes. As there seem to be a lot of extreme views on this career, I have tried to give you the real picture. This is a serious profession where you have to work hard and your hard work pays (quite literally)!
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There are a variety of airlines that accept pets either in the cargo or even in the cabin so we are going to consider here which of those airlines are the best airlines for pets. Remember, pets include birds, rabbits, kittens, hamsters, or guinea pigs, but these pets do have additional restrictions.
United Airlines -- The United Airlines pet policy is that they do allow pets in the baggage and cargo areas as well as in the cabin. Some short-nosed breeds of dogs are not allowed as checked baggage or as cargo during the summer months which are from June 1 through September 30. The breeds referred to are Shih Tzu, Boston Terrier, English Bull dog, French Bull dog, Lhasa Apso, Boxer, King Charles Spaniel, Pug, etc. Heat is a factor here. This does not affect the transportation of pets in the cabin. So United Airlines can definitely be considered one of the best airlines for pets.
Northwest Airlines -- The Northwest Airline pet policy is that they are accepted in the cabin on all U. S. flights except to Hawaii. They are accepted in some international flights but the airline must be contacted regarding this. Pets are also allowed in the checked baggage and cargo compartments. Northwest airlines boasts to be the industry leader for pet transportation in a safe and efficient manner. So the three options that Northwest Airlines offers for pet transportation are -- Cargo Shipments (with passenger or traveling alone); Carry-on pets; pets traveling with checked luggage. Northwest Airlines is one of the best airlines for pets.
Delta Airlines -- Delta Airline pet policy is that they accept pets in the cabin, in the checked baggage, and in the cargo compartment. There are restrictions as to what type of pet is allowed in the cabin. They are dogs, birds, hamsters, guinea pigs, ferrets, and cats. The animals that are prohibited include mice/rats, sugar gliders, spiders, pot-bellied pigs, frogs, or reptiles. Delta Airlines boasts safety and comfort for the pet but do have some guidelines for the size, etc of the pets. The pet(s) must fit in a carry-on kennel that fits under the seat in front or the seat the passenger is sitting on. The pet will not be able to travel in the cabin if the flight is going to Hawaii. Lastly the pet must be at least 8 weeks old.
American Airlines -- The American Airlines pet policy is that pets are accepted in the cabin and as checked baggage. No more that 7 pets can be booked on one flight in the cabin so it is important to advise the airline ahead of time of the transport of a pet. However, checked pets do not need a reservation. Cats and dogs are the limit of pets that are permitted on the American Airlines.
The best airlines for pets are the four listed above determined by the breath of the policy for the transported pets such as in the cabin, cargo, or checked baggage.
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You might think that initially truck load shipping rates would be easy to calculate, since basically the vast majority of carriers do the calculation based upon mileage. And that is partially true however, there are a lot of factors that come into play. So let's try to demystify the process, in order to become a bit more informed about the subject, and better equipped to reach a more informed decision on the rates that you are presently receiving.
Now, the first thing to do in order to compare the truck load shipping rates you are receiving from various carriers, is to learn how to use Google Maps. Google maps can be found by going to Google.com and looking for the Google maps tab on the upper left side of the page. Once there, you can calculate the mileage between the two points that you are shipping. This will give you a constant that you can use to determine what you are paying per mile. This is a great way to do a comparison, without having to invest in PC Miler that the industry uses that can cost as much as 1500 dollars. By the way, since you are using Google maps and establishing a price based upon one constant, the fact that PC miler may be more accurate ( by a slim margin by the way )is of no consequence to the numbers you are going to get as a result of this exercise.
So now that you have a way to compare the truck load shipping rates you are receiving, based upon a rate per mile as carriers do, can you use this rate for all of your truckload shipments? Well no, since a few other things have to be taken into consideration. The first of which, would be the total number of miles to each destination. I have always categorized shipments as being short hall 0 to 500 miles, medium hall 501 to 1000 miles, and long haul 1001 plus. If you have shipments that vary in mileage, and are within these 3 categories, you will start seeing a pattern were prices will be closely related in price range within those groups.
Another issue is if the carrier is doing an outbound or inbound load. In other words, if you are in Montreal and your shipment is heading to Chicago, you would call it an outbound shipment. However if being based in Montreal and your shipment is to be picked up from Los Angeles and returned to your city that would be considered and inbound load.
Why is this important? Well, carriers usually will charge a bit more out of their home location so that they can, if required, accept less revenue coming back. Assuring a fast turnaround. Now this sometimes can be affected when dealing with cross border cargo supply and demand. When there are reduced exports from a country, due to exchange rates, but a lot of imports, as in recent months between the United States and Canada. Carriers feeling the imbalance are willing to head outbound for much less, knowing that there's a lot of freight inbound from the USA.
Now as you can see, there are a lot of things that interplay in truck load shipping rates, and why they ebb and flow at any particular point in time. What a lot of manufacturers a doing today, is that they are contacting third party logistic firms, otherwise known as load brokers, who know the inns and outs of the market. I would recommend even contacting a few, and as you work with them, you will probably feel comfortable with 1 or 2. At that point you will definitely be ahead of the game, in getting competitive truck load shipping rates form both, thereby securing a competitive rate for your transportation needs.
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ISF stands for Importer Security Filing. As of January 26, 2009, all importers in the United States must notify US Customs and Border Protection of any ocean freight coming into the US. This rule was put into practice so that the Department of Homeland Security would have knowledge of all foreign imports shipping out by ocean freight, 24 hours prior to the event. This rule was put into place to protect the US from acts of terrorism.
Notification must be provided at least 24 hours prior to ocean freight loading for shipment to the US. The "10+2" portion of the filing rule refers to the importer reporting 10 required data elements to US Customs and Border Protection, and the carrier reporting 2 additional data elements.
These are the 10 data elements required from the importer:
1. Manufacturer or supplier name and address
2. Seller or owner name and address
3. Buyer or owner name and address
4. Ship-to name and address
5. Container stuffing location
6. Consolidator or stuffer name and address
7. Importer of record number/foreign trade zone applicant identification number
8. Consignee number or numbers
9. Country of origin
10. Commodity Harmonized Tariff Schedule number
These are the 2 data elements required from the carrier:
1. Vessel stow plan
2. Container status messages
Many importers have little or no knowledge of US Customs bond systems. Therefore, most importers work directly with a customs broker or transportation and logistics company to handle the filing requirements. US Customs and Border Protection realized that compliance would be difficult for some, so they granted a one year delay on enforcement. Now that January 26, 2010 has passed, bonds are required for importing by way of ocean shipping. You must obtain the bond before you can file.
Four types of bonds are acceptable and meet the ISF filing requirement; custodial bonds, basic importation bonds, international carrier bonds, and foreign trade zone operator bonds. Continuous bonds are preferred.
If you are an importer using a transportation company to handle the import filing process, the transportation company can use their bonds to file and secure the transaction. However, the liability of accuracy still lies on the importer. Bonding is required for both filing and entry of the ocean freight.
Some importers use specialty software to bring 10+2 ISF filing in-house. By using this software or application, ISF entries can be sent directly to customs. Most importers find it possible to do their own ISF filing, but find the entry filing requirements more difficult. Smaller importers are sometimes unable to acquire the bonding that they need for initial filing and entry filing, and find it necessary to go through a third party service provider.
Ocean freight and ocean shipping transportation and logistics companies offer a wide variety of services, including 10+2 ISF bonding and filing. They also may provide rail freight and cargo services, international forwarding services, ocean cargo services, and more.
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