Whenever freight is forwarded, the shipper might get in to an impression that the cargo will come home without any more formalities. But there are few facts which shouldn’t be ignored.
Cargo concept is port – to – port, but normally the shipper will ask for a quote which would include the packing, local charges at point of origin and freight. But if you are looking for a door –to – door service then the quote must be taken for door to door. When a door – to – door service is taken the cost will go very high but you can reduce that extra expenses by getting service only up to the port and do the customs clearing by yourself.
If the cargo has not send as door – to – door the following formalities need to be completed Arrival Notice: First the consignee will be intimated with a pre-alert or an arrival notice will be sent ( it is advised to give the email ID or fax No at the destination otherwise the arrival notice could reach the consignee after the free period at the port and warehouse is over, that would lead to the extra storage and demurrage penalty)
On the basis of the arrival notice the consignee need to collect the delivery order. This document will include the charges of cargo handling and destination agents’ fee
Port dues are separate charges by the port authority which need to be paid at the time of the collection of cargo
All the cargo needs to be custom cleared and duty to be paid; this can be performed by the consignee or a broker to act on behalf of the consignee. Normally for the personal effects there will not be any duty as such but there are some countries insist on customs duty.
you can find the best transporters with the help of the local yellow pages or through the search engine, the transport arrangement should be done even before you do the clearing. So once you finish the formalities the transporter can be called for the service and you will not end up with ‘eleventh-hour search’. If it is a small cargo you can ask the delivery office to load in your personal car.
Off loading at your residence can be organized with your friends and relatives by spending few dollars for the snacks and soft drinks. Arrange the off-loading people before the cargo comes to your place because the free time for the off-loading is limited by two or three hours.
