FAQ

There have been several questions about the “liability of a shipper on a bill of lading”.. As we have discussed, any one can be a shipper on the bill of lading and may not necessarily be the actual exporter or seller of the goods that are covered in the bill of lading..

It is not uncommon for a Seller to be pursued by the Carrier for unpaid charges incurred in relation to the cargo, say, due to the Consignee failing to come forth and take delivery.

More often, this comes as a shock to the Seller given that they may have received payment under their contract for sale of goods and subsequently transferred the negotiable Bill of Lading by endorsement (either to a named party or in blank).

The Seller generally presumes that they do not bear any liability and instead believe that the Carrier only has a right to pursue the Consignee.

The below article by Muthu Jagannath explains the liability of the entity who is listed as a Shipper in the Bill of Lading (“BL”)..

A Bill of Lading (B/L) is one of the most commonly used commercial documents in the history of shipping and freight.. This document is issued in one form or the other for all shipments whether container, bulk, break bulk, RoRo or in other forms of carriage..

A Bill of Lading has 3 basic functions.. But which is the most important function of the bill of lading..??

Harbour, Port, Terminal, Berth, Quay, Pier, Jetty - you are not alone if you are confused about these terminologies..

To many of us, these terminologies sounds the same.. It took me also a while to understand the difference when I started out in this industry..

So here's how it works..

ICD, On Dock CY and Off Dock CY are some terms you might have heard during the course of your day to day work.. Here is an explanation of the difference between them..

This article explains and clarifies the difference between Pre-Carriage, Carriage and On-Carriage and how these come together to provide the full spectrum of services to the customer..

"How do I know the bill of lading issued is a House Bill of Lading or a Master Bill of Lading..?? Is it mentioned anywhere on the bill of lading that it is a House Bill or a Master Bill"

I really love such basic but curious questions because it rejuvenates the gray matter.. Let's explore this question..

General Rate Increase (GRI) - a term liked by the shipping lines and loathed by the trading community.. This article explains what GRI means to people on either side of the fence and how it affects the trade..

In anything that we do in life, the first time is a scary thought - first time on a bike, first time driving a car, first time swimming, first date, first kiss .................... etc..

So why should shipping your first container be any different..??

It could be a scary thought if you are a first-time exporter or importing for the first time, but like everything else, if done and handled correctly, shipping your first container can be a good experience as well..

Here are some tips to assist you in shipping your first container..

The safe carriage of Dangerous Goods requires several considerations, processes of approval, acceptance, carriage protocols and documentation..

For the shipping line/carriers, while containerisation brought along ease of handling cargo, it also brought about the headache of not knowing WHAT IS INSIDE THE CONTAINER..

Carriers have no way of knowing what is inside the container and depend on the STC and SLAC information provided by the shipper..

For dangerous goods, this cargo information is provided to the carrier in the form of the Dangerous Goods Declaration..

P&I Clubs have become an integral and important part of the maritime business.. This article discusses what is a P&I Club, what they do and why we need them..

Over the years, I have received several questions from readers relating to a variety of topics on this resource..

Some of them are really valid questions especially if you consider that some of these questions may be from someone importing for the first time or someone exporting for the first time..

It makes you think of the issues that those entering international trade for the first time or shipping their first container would be facing in getting it completed successfully..

The business of shipping, freight and trade could all be a bit overwhelming as there are several processes to be followed and for those who are doing it for the first time, asking questions and finding the right answers is extremely important..

Here are some questions which I received from one of the readers of this resource, possibly, someone who is starting out new or someone experiencing some new problems with their shipments..

The ubiquitous freight or shipping container has become an integral part of our lives not just if you are in the industry handling and moving these containers from point to point, but for all the businesses and industries that use the container.. It has been universally hailed as one of the greatest inventions of the modern world, one that completely changed the way in which business has been done since the 20th century and really and truly made the world a smaller place and the one true architect of Globalisation.. Exporters, importers, traders, packing houses, ports, customs, border authorities, police, clearing agents, freight forwarders, stevedores, hauliers, weighbridges ............................. and many more entities involved in a trade transaction may be seeing and handling a container on a daily basis.. But although many of these people see a container not everyone understands the many markings on a container.. The markings on a container play a very significant role in the movement of the container as they provide vital information to all entities in the supply chain relating to the monitoring and safety of the container and cargo during its carriage.. Let us look at each of the markings on a container individually using an example below..

To the uninitiated (which included me at one stage), these industries are same or similar and it might come across that there is no difference between Maritime, Shipping, Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain ..

But once you are involved in the business or know about these businesses, you will very soon understand that these are very different industries with different workings, assets, architecture, requiring very different sets of qualifications, experience, expertise, knowledge and attitudes..

In this article I unpack the difference between Maritime, Shipping, Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain and how it is all connected..

Why is there a difference in transit time between FCL and LCL cargo to the same destination..?? If it doesn't make sense, there is a reason why this difference exists.. Read the full article to know why..

Bulk and Break bulk are two terms that are being used incorrectly and interchangeably in the course of day to day business..

These terms cannot be used interchangeably because there are distinctive differences between Bulk and Break Bulk in terms of cargo, nature, size, capacity, handling, trade, customers, ports, terminals, equipment, infrastructure.........................................

How do you differentiate between the two..?? This article will help you understand clearly..

• Trans-Pacific carriers accelerate blank sailings
• More blank sailings spell volatility for trans-Pacific
• AE2-blank-sailing-announcement-Europe-Services - Maersk
• Falling US imports spell more trans-Pacific blankings
• Soft demand and falling rates push 2M to blank another Asia-USEC sailing
• Ocean Alliance to Blank Ten Transpacific Sailings as Spot Rates Plummet

These are some of the headlines you might have seen across many media, all with one common factor "blank sailings"..

What is this blank sailing and how does it impact or influence global container shipping..??

If you are in the shipping and freight industry you may have heard several whisperings, notices, loose talk, official talk, speeches etc about IMO 2020..

But what is this IMO 2020, who will be impacted and how will it affect your life in the shipping and freight industry..??

This article examines the impact of IMO 2020 on shipping lines and cargo owners, the options available and how this lower sulphur emission standards can be achieved..

There are several entities involved in the successful transportation of a shipment.. However big or small a shipment is, two entities stand out due to the importance of their roles in a shipment..

These entities are a Freight Forwarder and a Clearing Agent..

It is very important to understand the functions of a freight forwarder and a clearing agent and their role in a shipment as this is often confused..

While in a lot of cases, a freight forwarder and clearing agent may be the same entity, there are many cases where they are different as well and in this post we explore the similarities and difference between a freight forwarder and clearing agent..

NVOCC and Freight Forwarder are entities that many customers use for the movement of their cargo around the world.. Is there a difference between a NVOCC and freight forwarder..?? Let us explore in this article..

Shippers are becoming increasingly active stakeholders in the logistics business, forcing carriers and forwarders to adapt. Portrix Logistic Software’s Global Head of Marketing, Christian Sørensenon, talks to Shipping and Freight Resource about the changing shipping landscape and provides tips for shippers and logistics companies to stay ahead of the curve.