Will you guarantee a day?
Only if the booking says the transit is guaranteed, and only on the terms written there. A standard estimate is not a guarantee.
Transit
Transit times
The number on a quote is an estimate for that lane. It is not a guaranteed clock time.
Transit starts when the cargo is received for the move we booked, and it ends when it is tendered for delivery or made available for pickup, as the booking says. Port-to-port ocean time does not include the truck on either side or a customs exam. Door-to-door time does, if those legs are on the quote.
The booking confirmation names the cutoff, the equipment, and the charges. Transit times and sample rates on this site are explanations, not that confirmation. Operations records a milestone only after the cargo or the document has actually moved.
- Ocean
- Often measured in weeks
- Air
- Often measured in days
- Truck
- Depends on the miles
What to send for a written rate
- City or port of origin, and city or port of destination
- Mode: ocean, air, or truck, if you already know it
- Pieces, weight, and dimensions
- What the goods are, in plain language
- The date the freight is ready
- Hazardous, oversized, or temperature-controlled, if any of those apply
A quote is not a booking. The booking starts when you accept the rate, the cutoff, and the document list in writing.
Ocean
A published sailing still depends on the cargo and the documents meeting cutoff. A missed cutoff waits for a later vessel. Congestion at a port adds days that were not on the original estimate.
Air
Airport-to-airport time is the flight plus recovery. Door-to-door adds pickup, screening, and the delivery truck after customs. A cancelled flight moves the estimate to the next flight we can book.
Road
A direct truck is faster than LTL because LTL can pass through terminals. Appointments, weekends, and receiving hours are part of the delivery date. A Friday pickup is not a Friday delivery on a long lane.
What the estimate leaves out
Add these only when they apply to your booking.
| Event | Where it sits |
|---|---|
| Origin truck | Before port or airport receipt |
| Document delay | Before the vessel or the flight |
| Customs exam | After arrival, before release |
| Destination appointment | After release, before delivery |
| Storage or demurrage | If the consignee is not ready |
Questions
Why did tracking stop moving?
Milestones are recorded when we receive them. A quiet day on the ocean is normal. An exception status means something needs attention.
Where is the estimate for my shipment?
On the booking confirmation and, when we have a date, on the tracking page as the estimated delivery.
Talk to Pinnacle Cargo Limited operations
A firm rate, a booking, and a tracking number come from operations. This page explains the service. It is not a live tariff.
