What Happens Once Your LCL Shipment Arrives At Port?
Alan Fan
Last Update 3 yıl önce
Arrival
After confirming authorization from the port, a container ship docks at its assigned berth next to port cranes that unload containers from the ship. The crane work and other activities are carried out by many dockworkers, including lashers, clerks, and cargo equipment operators. These people work together to perform the logistics miracles of efficiently transporting containers across the berth and preparing them for the next step in the journey.
After the unloading of those containers, customs officials may decide to inspect certain containers. This process is sometimes random, and sometimes it’s based on each container’s documentation. Time at the port can be very expensive, therefore every importer must have their documents ready for the forwarder. Costs incurred by delay can be transferred to the importer.
Once a container is cleared from inspection, it is loaded onto a chassis or a truck trailer and transported to the forwarder’s warehouse or distribution center. The transportation is normally done with trucks unless the distance is so far that the forwarder hires train services.
Relocation and Devanning
The container arrives on the truck at a distribution center. This center is sometimes called CFS (Container Freight Station). The container is opened to be sorted (devanning) and the boxes are separated and prepared for shipment to their individual owners, the forwarder’s clients.
Customs Clearance
An import declaration is made at the CFS. It is also possible that the clearance is done at the port before the container departs, but that depends on several circumstances.
Delivery
The last part of the shipping process is the actual delivery of the cargo to the importer. This transportation can be carried out by a local transportation company chosen by the importer, or by the freight forwarder.
Small importers sometimes decide to pick up their cargo directly from the CFS. It is important to know that the cargo might be on a pallet, so pickup trucks are the best vehicles for this. If the car is small, additional time is needed to disassemble the pallet and stuff the car with the boxes.