Track
A bill of lading or air waybill works from the booking date. A container number works after gate-in.
Get a quoteA number that is not on file comes back as not found. Milestones appear when operations record them.
What a written rate needs
Send these on the quote form. A rate without them is only an estimate.
Start a quote- Origin and destination, including the port or airport if you already know it
- Pieces, weight, and dimensions for each package or container
- What the cargo is, and whether it is hazardous
- The date the freight is ready, and whether you need a door pickup
- Incoterm, if the buyer and seller have already agreed one
- Whether documents will travel with the cargo or be sent separately
Written rate
Included charges and extras, on one quote.
Two cutoffs
One time for the cargo, one for the documents.
One number
Bill of lading, air waybill, or container.
Ocean freight
Full containers stay sealed for your cargo. Shared containers are rated on weight or measure.
Air cargo
Express when the date is fixed. Standard air when the freight can take the next available flight.
Ground freight
Truckload, less-than-truckload, and the truck at each end of a port or airport move.
The rest of the booking
The vessel, the flight, or the truck is only part of the move. These are the pieces that usually sit on the same confirmation.
Customs support
The invoice and packing list have to match the goods before the shipment can leave or arrive.
Customs
Documents
A late commercial invoice can miss the sailing even when the cargo was on time.
Document list
Claims
Loss, damage, or a charge that does not match the invoice, filed with the booking number.
File a claimHow a shipment moves
Each step is written down. A quote is not a booking until you accept it, and a booking is not in transit until the cargo is received.
1
Quote
Send origin, destination, pieces, weight, dimensions, commodity, and the date the cargo is ready.
2Book
The confirmation names the mode, the cutoff for cargo and documents, and what the rate excludes.
3Hand over
Door pickup, warehouse receiving, or a terminal gate-in, exactly as the booking says.
4Track
Follow the milestones we have recorded. Contact operations if one is late.
Questions shippers ask
These are the answers operations gives before a booking. A written confirmation can still name a different cutoff or charge for your cargo.
What number do I track?
Use the bill of lading, the air waybill, or the container number. The container number works after the box is gated in. A number that is not on file comes back as not found.
Is a quote a booking?
No. The booking starts when you accept the rate, the cutoff, and the document list. Until then the space is not held.
Why are there two cutoffs?
One is for the cargo. The other is for the commercial invoice, packing list, and bill of lading or air waybill. A late document can miss the vessel or the flight even when the freight arrived on time.
What is the difference between a full container and shared cargo?
A full container stays sealed for your goods. Shared cargo is rated on weight or measure, whichever is higher, and is unpacked at a destination warehouse.
When should I use air?
When the delivery date is fixed and the cargo can fly. Express leaves on the next flight that can take it. Standard air waits for the next available flight. Both receive an air waybill.
What does the truck cover?
Door pickup, delivery, and the run between a terminal and the shipper. The booking names the pickup window. Truckload is your trailer. Less-than-truckload shares the trailer.
What documents does international freight need?
A commercial invoice and a packing list that match the goods, plus the shipper and consignee names that will appear on the transport document. Hazardous cargo needs its own declaration.
What if the cargo is damaged?
File a claim with the booking number, photographs, and the delivery receipt. Claims cover loss, damage, or a charge that does not match the invoice. The claim page explains what to attach.
Do you hold cargo?
Warehousing can hold, cross-dock, or split a shipment between the ocean, air, and truck legs. Free time at a port is stated on the confirmation. After that, storage is an extra charge.
Who do I call if a milestone is late?
Contact operations with the tracking number. A milestone appears only after it has been recorded. A quiet tracking page means that step has not been recorded yet, not that the number is invalid.
Need a person on the shipment?
Operations can help with a booking, a document, or a delivery that has not arrived.
