“I have 10 pallets of product to ship in a container from New Jersey to Poland. Can I get a freight quote fast? I can provide specific details later.”
Believe it or not, quote requests like this are not unusual. But to get an accurate ocean freight shipping quote in a timely manner, you'll want to provide freight forwarders accurate details – and as much as you have.
One manufacturing company incorrectly reported the size and weight of cargo that it was shipping overseas. When more accurate details surfaced, the drayage carrier refused to pick up the freight and the load was delayed for weeks – all as a result of one missed detail.
The only way to avoid upcharges, delays, and penalties is to get an accurate ocean freight shipping quote right out-of-the-box. Here is what your freight forwarder will need.
An ocean freight shipping quote is likely to account for far more than the steamship line costs. It's actually a combination of multimodal costs incurred from door to door.
There are pre-carriage charges for landside moves prior to container delivery to the port. Things like possible packaging charges, trucking and/or rail costs and chassis usage.
There are carriage charges for the actual movement of the cargo from port to port. Common charges here include ocean freight charges and a Bunker Adjustment Factor to compensate steamship lines for fluctuating fuel rates.
There are on-carriage charges for landside moves after the container is discharged at destination. These may include cargo transloading and inland drayage charges for final delivery.
It's good to understand the various charges that you may see in a freight quote. Xeneta does a nice job of summarizing these many different charges in its Understanding Sea Freight Rates article.
Rates change frequently in this volatile shipping market. Never use past quotes to estimate costs for your next shipment. And don't assume the quote you received three weeks ago is still valid. Check the validity date on the quote. Once that passes, freight forwarders consider the quote expired.
Know your incoterms. These are the trade selling terms that define who is responsible – buyer or seller – for freight costs, marine cargo insurance, and specific shipping related tasks. You don't want to pay for more than you need to, contractually
Freight forwarders are very skilled at providing accurate ocean freight shipping quotes. It's a big part of what they do. But their recommendations and calculations are based on getting accurate data on what you are shipping, where, when, and how. If that information is wrong or incomplete, the quote will be meaningless.
A little work on your end to gather these details will ensure you get accurate freight quotes quickly to help you better manage your busy freight department.
Need a freight forwarder to help you manage all the details? Contact I.C.E. Transport and let’s talk.