Sixteen terms that appear on every quote and invoice. Learn the difference between demurrage and detention and you’re ahead of half the industry.
The contract of carriage and the key to collect cargo. Whoever holds the original controls the goods.
House B/L (from your forwarder — us) vs Master B/L (from the shipping line). You normally work with the House.
Terminal Handling Charge — the port’s fee for lifting your container on/off the ship. Charged at both ends.
Estimated departure / arrival. The word is estimated — build buffer into your planning.
Rent the PORT charges when your container sits inside the terminal past free time. The expensive one.
Rent the CARRIER charges when you keep their container outside the port too long. The other expensive one.
Days you may use the container/terminal before demurrage/detention start. Negotiable — ask us.
Container Yard (full containers) vs Container Freight Station (where LCL cargo is packed/unpacked).
The global commodity number that decides your duty rate. Wrong code = wrong duty = customs trouble.
General Rate Increase — carriers raising prices across a lane, usually announced monthly. We watch these for you.
Peak Season Surcharge — extra charge when demand spikes (pre-holiday months).
Bunker Adjustment Factor — the fuel surcharge, moves with oil prices.
Electronic release of cargo without couriering paper originals. Faster; needs trust between parties.
Your booked container didn’t fit on the ship and waits for the next one. We fight these; buffers help.
Cargo changes vessel mid-route — usually in Singapore, the world’s busiest hub for it.
Shipper-owned vs carrier-owned container. COC is the norm; SOC solves special cases.
Related guides: Incoterms 2020 · FCL vs LCL · All guides
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