HOW MY ORDERS CAN BE ACCESSED AND APPROVED FOR SHIPPING?

Overview:

Shipping is one of the most significant manpower works in several countries. Germany takes pride in offering high-quality shipping services in the world. We are proud to be a part of it. 

Are you looking for shipping companies with the most extensive shipping lines? We have an integrated network of rail, road, and sea transport resources. Also, we have global teams working 24/7 to provide full-time shipping services to customers worldwide. It is always necessary for any logistics company to provide the most innovative shipping options. We develop solutions that meet customer requirements from end-to-end. With the help of the integrated network across the globe, our company is highly privileged to be on the list of one of the best global delivering services. The shipping labels provide vital information of each actor of the supply chain in transporting your order from one hand to another, from a warehouse to a customer's doorstep.

 

Get up-to-date information about our holiday periods, charges, restrictions, payment services, and procedures. The system will automatically select the service provider offering the best price for the chosen route. German customs officers process the shipments and x-ray the percentage of the orders (packages). Once the importing authorities approve your product, it is further transported to the shipping destination.  

 

Booking guidelines:

There are eight documents that are necessary for international shipping:

Ø Proforma invoice

Ø Commercial invoice 

Ø Packing list

Ø Certificates of origin

Ø Shipper's Letter of Instruction (SLI)

Ø Waybill/Frachtbrief

Ø Dangerous goods forms

Ø Bank draft

 

Proforma invoice:

In an international transaction, everything starts with an inquiry of your product. This inquiry includes a request for a quotation. For this foreign transaction, you will be provided a quote for your product, which is known to be a proforma invoice. It looks similar to a commercial invoice, and it is necessary to fill it with the correct details. It specifies the buyer and seller for this transaction, description of goods, price, delivery details, payment terms of the sale, the currency used in the quote, and harmonized system clarification of products. It is the customer's responsibility to verify the date and expiration time in the proforma invoice.

 

Commercial invoice:

A commercial invoice gives a piece of detailed information regarding the export transaction. You have to prepare the shipping process of your goods after the order comes from the international prospect. It will be generated if you have already sent the proforma invoice to the international prospect. The commercial invoice includes the purchase order number, customer reference number, and additional banking and payment information.

 

Packing list:

The packing list from an export gives detailed information compared to domestic shipments. The trucker or freight forwarder uses the details on the packing list to create bills of shipment. The packing list is one of the essential documents required by the bank to get a paid under credit. The customs officials use the packing list to find the location of the packed items (pallets) they wish to examine. It also includes the net weight and dimensions of the packages.

 

Certificates of Origin:

The Certificate of Origin is necessary for some countries. To identify the origin of the shipments, the Certificate of Origin is required. It must be signed by the country's consulate or some semi-official organization like the Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber of Commerce usually charges a fee to sign your certificate. To process this certificate, you have to submit the completed form to the chamber's office.

 

Shipper's Letter of Instructions (SLI):

To ship your orders, you must hire or work with the freight forwarder. Once you have hired a freight forwarder, it is recommended to submit the SLI to him/her (freight forwarder). The SLI is similar to a memo cover.

 

Waybill/Frachtbrief:

The loading staff is entirely responsible for checking the CMR document before signing it. The CMR document includes the date and time of arrival, the start of loading/unloading, end of loading/unloading, and departure. If there is any discrepancy between the driver and the loading staff, the loading staff is responsible for taking notes on the CMR document. It is suggested to inform us within 24 hours after loading or unloading. It is a safety measure to avoid inconsistencies on both sides. If any data is missing or the waiting time is taken into account, the customer will be charged with additional costs. The customer is responsible for instructing the loading staff about these requirements. The bill of loading is categorized into inland, ocean, and airway. 

 

Dangerous goods forms:

Dangerous goods form should be submitted during the time of shipping if your products are titled hazardous by IMO or IATA. The IATA form is mandatory for air shipments. 

 

Bank draft:

A bank draft is an essential document in the international sales process from the seller in exchange for funds from the buyer. It is called a Documentary Collection. A bank draft will be sent from the seller's bank to the buyer's bank via a freight forwarder.

 

Apart from the certificates, there is much more to know about the shipment process, such as waiting time, shipping considerations, and other product approvals.

 

Waiting Time:

The shipping time depends upon the arrival time of the trucker. If the trucker arrives late, the free waiting time of two hours starts with loading or unloading. But this is applicable only if the delay notification has been sent before the deadline to our customers.

 

Our offers:

We provide all types of transport, a global network of quality transport providers, on-time pick-up and delivery, 24/7 shipping and monitoring, quality assurance, and one-stop shopping. Our free services include the following.

Ø Check & photo

Ø Return shipments

Ø Repacking

Ø Customs papers

Ø Consolidation

Ø Limited period of storage

 

Shipping considerations:

There are three most important considerations in shipping an e-commerce product. 

Ø Product size and weight

Ø Shipping destination

Ø Shipping options

 

Product size and weight

Your product's size and weight determine the shipping cost, package cost, limits in shipping, and loading/unloading difficulties. If your products are relatively uniform, a zone-based approach (per item shipping) can change your shipping price. It may vary depending upon the customer's location instead of determining the product's size and weight. Customers are advised to focus on the product's weight and dimensions. It is because the rate you get back from a carrier is as accurate as possible. If you are a retailer dealing with products of different sizes and weights, categorize your products into groups and specify the dimensions and weights for the heaviest or largest 20% and the smallest or lightest 20%. This might be a helpful tip to reduce your shipping cost and offer you the best return on investment.

 

Shipping destination

The second consideration for shipping a product is the shipping destination-whether the product is to be shipped within the domestic location or across the borders. The free shipping option works well for domestic shipments. If you are shipping internationally, get a rate straight from a carrier like the DHL, USPS, or others. It is because the rate for international shipping varies significantly worldwide. Make sure that you cannot build or fix your prices for these shipping scenarios. 

 

Shipping options

Shipping options include Express, Airfreight, and Sea freight. Among these shipping options, the most affordable will be Sea freight, but it takes much time compared to other shipping options. We respect our customers and offer the best shipping options. The e-commerce shipping options include Free in-store pick-up, LTL freight carriers, Same-day delivery, and Free shipping. For large B2B shipments, use an LTL freight carrier.

 

Tips for shipping items sold online:

Ø First, you have to make an online sale.

Ø Choose the packages to be shipped and determine the weight and size of it.

Ø Make sure to confirm the shipping destination.

Ø Choose your carrier for shipping and calculate the shipping cost.

Ø Monitor the shipment by the selected carrier.

 

Product Conformity Assessment (PFA)

Our Product Conformity Assessment provides the best solution to verify whether your product meets the technical regulations' requirements pre-defined by the importing authority of a country. It reviews the product through the reports from the verification activities such as physical inspection, factory audits, and laboratory testing. Our PCA services assist the manufacturers and suppliers in getting the best compliance of their exports to different countries. The PCA prevents unsafe shipping, counterfeit goods. Considering our consumer's health and safety environment, we support government authorities to enforce obligatory legislation. PCA is designed to help the trade facilitation and to protect the interests of traders. It benefits the importers from a faster customs clearance process. It helps the exporters to avoid the risk of having their goods rejected from the country's destination due to non-compliance with requirements. 

 

So, imports and exports may sound easy, but the process involved is too big, with the assessments, the certifications, the safety precautions, the carrier bookings, and other formalities. With time and experience, you will find yourself handling loads of imports/exports.