Detailed explanation of international logistics methods and cargo handover procedures
Among the modes of international cargo transportation, ocean transportation is the most widespread mode of transportation. Although ocean transportation has the advantages of large carrying capacity, strong passing capacity, and low freight, it also has some disadvantages, such as being greatly affected by climate and natural conditions, making sailing schedules difficult to be accurate, and having high risks. In addition, the speed of ocean transport is relatively low.
Railway transportation is another important mode of international cargo transportation, second only to ocean transportation. The advantages of railway transportation include that it is not affected by climatic conditions, can be transported normally throughout the year, has a large transport volume, is fast, has a high degree of continuity, and has less risks during transportation. In addition, railway freight procedures are simple, and both shippers and consignees can go through the consignment and pick-up procedures at the nearest origin or destination station.
As a modern mode of transportation, air transportation is known for its fast transportation speed, high cargo quality and lack of restrictions on ground conditions. It is particularly suitable for transporting urgently needed supplies, fresh commodities, precision instruments and valuables. With the development of international trade and technological advancement, the application of air transportation is becoming more and more widespread. Air transportation can be divided into various forms such as flight transportation, charter transportation, centralized consignment, and air express delivery.
Road transportation is also a modern mode of transportation. It can not only directly transport import and export goods, but is also an important means of collecting and distributing goods at stations, ports and airports. Road transportation is characterized by flexibility, speed and convenience, which is especially indispensable when realizing “door-to-door” transportation. However, road transportation also has some shortcomings, such as limited cargo capacity, high transportation costs, and prone to cargo damage accidents.
In foreign trade contracts, sometimes the real consignee is not at the port of discharge. For example, “The goods were shipped in May 2010 and were transported by sea from Tianjin, China, via Hong Kong to Marseille, France, and then to Paris.” In this case, the arrangements for subsequent transportation need to be clearly stated in the contract. Regarding the goods handover procedure, the specific procedures are also different according to different trade terms, such as FOB or CIF terms.
In container transportation, the goods delivery point refers to the place where the carrier and the shipper hand over the goods and divide the liability risks and expenses according to the transportation contract. Common handover locations include Door, Container Yard (CY), Ship’s Rail or Hook/Tackle, and Container Freight Station (CFS). Door refers to the shipper’s factory, warehouse or the location agreed upon by both parties; CY is the place used to hand over and store empty and heavy containers; shipside or hook refers to the loading and unloading shipside or terminal container loading and unloading spreader; CFS is The place where LCL goods are handed over and kept.
Depending on the handover location of the container cargo, there are theoretically multiple handover methods, among which nine are the most common. These handover methods include door to door (Door to Door), door to site (Door to CY), door to station (Door to CFS), field to door (CY to Door), field to field (CY to CY), field to station (CY to CFS), station to door (CFS to Door), station to site (CFS to CY) and station to station (CFS to CFS). These handover methods can be summarized into four common modes: door-to-door is suitable for FCL delivery and FCL delivery; door-to-depot is suitable for FCL delivery and unpacking delivery; depot-to-door is suitable for LCL delivery and FCL delivery. Pick-up; from station to station, it is suitable for LCL delivery and unpacking pick-up.
Container cargo is mainly divided into two forms: full container load (FCL) and less than container load (LCL). Understanding these different modes of transportation and their characteristics can help to better manage the various demands in the international logistics process.