Four shipment files, step by step
Below are the shapes of shipment we quote most often: what moves, how it is routed, where it usually breaks. Client names and volumes are left out; the routing logic and the paperwork are exactly what a booking goes through.
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01
Furniture, full container, DDP to a US warehouse
Shenzhen → Los Angeles → inland USCargo
Furniture, 40HQ, around 58 CBM, floor loaded
Routing and method
FCL booking, export declaration in Shenzhen, US import entry under DDP, chassis drayage and a warehouse delivery appointment.
Where it breaks
Floor-loaded furniture is counted at loading, not at destination. Loading photos and a signed count happen before the door is sealed; ISF is filed well before the vessel loads.
What we need from you
Commercial invoice with a real unit price, packing list, product spec sheet, delivery address and receiving hours.
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02
Apparel, LCL, CIF into New York
Bangkok → Laem Chabang → New YorkCargo
Apparel, about 9 CBM and 780 kg, cartons on pallets
Routing and method
LCL consolidation, CFS receiving at origin, CIF terms for the buyer, import entry handled by the buyer's broker.
Where it breaks
Carton marks must match the packing list, or the piece count is argued at destination. Cut-off dates are confirmed in writing because one missed cut-off costs a week.
What we need from you
Packing list with carton dimensions, marks and piece count, plus the buyer's broker contact at destination.
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03
Project cargo on flat rack and open top
Shanghai → Jebel AliCargo
Machinery, out-of-gauge, lifting points on the frame
Routing and method
Flat rack and open-top booking, lashing survey, heavy-haul trucking to the port and stevedoring at both ends.
Where it breaks
Dimensions are checked against the flat rack's usable deck before booking, not after. A lashing plan is approved by the carrier before loading, or the crane waits.
What we need from you
Drawings or a dimension sheet, centre of gravity, lifting points, weight per piece and the site's receiving capability.
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04
E-commerce replenishment, FBA first leg
Ho Chi Minh City → US fulfilment centresCargo
Consumer goods, cartons, about 6 CBM per replenishment
Routing and method
Ocean LCL or air consolidation to a US hub, palletised delivery booked against the marketplace appointment system.
Where it breaks
Marketplace routing rules change and rejections are expensive. Carton and pallet labels are checked against the current requirement, and the appointment is booked before the cargo lands.
What we need from you
SKU list, carton and pallet labels, the fulfilment centre code and the replenishment window you are aiming for.
If your shipment looks like one of these, send the four basics — origin, destination, cargo and trade term — and we will price it against the same routing logic.
A file is only as good as its first count: what was loaded, how it was packed, who signed it off.Operations rule
Most delivery failures we see are not freight problems. They are a packing list that did not match the pallets, or an appointment nobody booked.
Send your file and find out where the risk sits
We will tell you what usually goes wrong on your lane, and which of those risks we can actually control.