Shipments
A Quick Guide to Incoterms
Incoterms are sales terms that define who arranges for the payment and handling of the goods during shipping, from the moment the goods leave the door of the seller (the manufacturer) until they arri…
Commercial Invoice Template
Our customs team needs a complete and accurate commercial invoice to clear your shipment quickly and efficiently. Click here to see an example of a commercial invoice containing all the elements requ…
Commercial Invoice and Packing List: What You Need to Know
Prime Freight will need a digital copy of the Commercial Invoice and Packing List of your shipment in order to clear your shipment through the United States. Customs, customs. What’s a Company Invoic…
How Do I Estimate How Many Cartons Will Fit on a Pallet?
By dividing the shipment’s CBM (cubic metres) by 1.5 you can estimate how many cartons will fit on a pallet. This is a rough estimate that can help you calculate storage charges and give you an idea…
Should I use Freight or Parcel to ship?
Prime Freight describes freight as a total weight of any shipment exceeding 100 kg. Anything less is better served by delivering through a through mail carrier such as UPS or FedEx. If your shipment…
Is Prime Freight going to handle communication with my supplier?
Indeed, Prime Freight. After you book a shipment, Prime Freight will handle all communications with your supplier. When you create a quote in the Prime Freight app, be sure to add contact information…
8 Common types of bills of lading
Ocean Transportation An ocean lading bill is provided when goods are transported by sea. The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) regulates ocean freight to or from the United States. Common types of oc…
Can I use my Own Cargo Insurance?
No problem if you already have cargo insurance and want to use it for shipments from Prime Freight! Let your Prime Freight team know, and the appropriate paperwork will be sent to you.
Five Factors to Consider Looking For a Fulfillment Center
Fulfillment Centers are warehouses that help businesses to stock, package and deliver their goods to end customers. In fact, we shoulder the burden of bulk shipping for businesses who generate an abu…
How long will it take to pick up a container from the port?
The same day the ocean ship arrives at port, Prime Freight Shipments will not be ready for pickup. Because many ships have more than 10,000 containers on board, unloading the ocean vessel can take 1-…
What's the purpose of a Bill of Lading?
A bill of lading, often abbreviated as B / L, is a ticket that describes your cargo’s journey from its source to its destination. Like an airline issuing a passenger ticket, a B / L is issued by a ca…
Transportation tips During peak season
Companies start planning for the winter holidays in the second half of the year— import volumes rise sharply, as do ocean and air tariffs. Big, unpredictable prices, rolled freight, trucking delays,…
Packaging and Damage Prevention Tips
Safe packaging of your products is essential to prevent any financial loss that may result from potential damage that may occur from your shipment as it is shipped from one location to another. Due t…
The Principles of Quality Control (QC)
Quality Control Basics (QC) If you’re hoping to have a new product manufactured overseas, you might be worried if your product looks the way you’ve expected and does what you want it to do. Inspectio…
How to load a container
Loading a container correctly can help to prevent harm to your goods in transit. The products must be secured against rutting and hitching on the fragile ocean leg when the container passes via rail.…
How much cargo fits in a container?
This table shows the general guidelines for container capacity— how much cbm fits into each container, as well as the width and height of the door: it is important to note that the capacity will be d…
Do I need to put my cargo on pallets?
Palletization is the act of shrink-wrapping loose cargo on top of pallets to improve the ease of handling, loading speed and cargo safety during the transport process. To shield it from damage during…
What kind of markings should my cartons have?
Prime Freight suggests that your manufacturer sign cartons with the following information: Brand Name: (name of your brand) Product SKU: (product SKU) Country of Origin: (e.g. China) Gross Weight: (w…
What are the ocean alliances
What are Alliances in the Ocean? Ocean alliances are groups of carriers that have agreed to pool their vessel fleet to expand their service and geographic coverage. As of May 2018, there are three oc…
How do I get ready for the Chinese New Year (CNY)?
When is New Year 2019 in China? The largest Chinese New Year celebration of the year is Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival. Chinese New Year (CNY) will be celebrate…
What's the Chargeable Weight?
The carrying capacity of each aircraft, truck and ship is ultimately limited by space or weight. If you are loading a heavy cargo vessel, you may reach its weight limit before filling any space avail…
Why do Freight Costs Vary by Trade Lane?
Prime Freight The cost of shipping 100 cbm of the product from Shenzhen to Los Angeles is not likely to be equal to the cost of shipping the same 100 cbm of the product from Shenzhen to Rotterdam. Th…
Who do I say to My Supplier is the Consignee on the Bill of Lading ?
The manufacturer will need the legal name of the company and the legal address of the consignee. Example: Company, Inc 1000 Professional Ave Muncie, IN 47302 What’s a consignee? The consignee is the…
Trucking Charges for FCL Shipping
Drayage is the transport of a full container by truck. Drayage cargo will be unloaded at its destination warehouse in one of a few different ways, and may in some cases be subject to either a waiting…
How is Prime Freight Incorporating GRI and PSS?
The business model of Prime Freight is a simple, straightforward marking of our freight costs. Our underlying carriers set the freight rates that we pay and may fluctuate as carriers adjust up or dow…
Should I be shipped by air or by LCL?
If you’re not sure if you want to ship by air or LCL (less than container load), consider how easily you want your cargo to reach its destination, and how much you’re willing to spend to get it there…
Types of Air Service
Three services are available for air travel: express, regular and deferred. Express Air Service If your cargo is being transported by express air service, it will be placed on a direct flight to its…
Should I ship by LCL or FCL?
Prime Freight Is a common question: should I ship my freight to FCL (full container load) or LCL (less than container load)? Here are a few factors to consider: LCL lets you keep inventory low If you…