Customs & Trade Compliance
Classification, entry preparation and regulatory filings coordinated with licensed customs brokers, so cargo clears smoothly.
Freight Forwarding / Ocean
Ocean freight, planned through to final delivery.
FCL and LCL services with free time, chassis and customs clearance arranged before the vessel sails, so your container moves straight from the terminal and landed cost stays in line with the quote.
In practice
- FCL, LCL and the point where they cross over
- Managing free time
- The filings that clear a container to load
FCL, LCL and the point where they cross over
As a working rule, a shipment above roughly 13 to 15 cubic metres starts to favour a 20-foot full container over LCL consolidation, because LCL is billed per revenue tonne and carries fixed destination charges at the container freight station. Below that, consolidation usually wins. The exact crossover moves with the trade lane and the season, so we price both.
LCL cargo is also stripped and re-handled at the destination CFS alongside other shippers' freight. For fragile or high-value goods, a full container can be the better choice well below the volume crossover.
Managing free time
Demurrage is charged when a container stays inside the terminal beyond its free days. Detention is charged when the container has left the terminal and is not returned in time. They are separate clocks, billed by different parties, and both start whether or not you are ready to receive.
We confirm the free-time allowance in writing at booking and schedule clearance and delivery appointments against it. Where your own dock capacity is the constraint, we raise it early so extra free days can be negotiated into the rate.
The filings that clear a container to load
For US imports, the Importer Security Filing (ISF, commonly called 10+2) must be filed no later than 24 hours before the container is loaded at the foreign port. A late or inaccurate filing carries liquidated damages and can draw a do-not-load hold, so we manage it as a deadline of its own, days ahead of the sailing.
Under the SOLAS convention, a Verified Gross Mass must be submitted before a packed container can be loaded to a vessel. We confirm which party provides the VGM and by which method at booking, so the box makes the terminal cut-off.
Capabilities
What is included.
Full container load
20ft, 40ft and 40ft high cube on direct and transhipment services across the principal east–west trades.
LCL consolidation
Consolidations through partner CFS operations, billed on the greater of cubic metre or revenue tonne.
Specialised equipment
Reefer, flat rack, open top and platform equipment for cargo too large to load through the door of a standard box.
Buyer's consolidation
Multiple supplier collections consolidated into one container at origin, cutting per-unit cost and destination handling.
Break bulk and RoRo
Conventional and roll-on/roll-off options for cargo outside container dimensions or already on wheels.
Port-to-door execution
Drayage, chassis, customs entry and delivery appointments sequenced against free time.
Sequence
How each shipment runs.
01
Lane and equipment selection
Volume, weight, commodity and required delivery window are matched to a direct or transhipment service and to the right equipment before rates are compared.
02
Booking and cut-off management
Space is confirmed and every cut-off (cargo, documentation, VGM) is placed on a single dated schedule shared with the shipper.
03
Origin handling and filing
Collection, stuffing and loading are coordinated. ISF and origin export declarations are filed against their own deadlines, ahead of the sailing date.
04
In-transit reporting
Departure, transhipment and estimated arrival are tracked against the original booking and reported as soon as they change.
05
Discharge, clearance and delivery
Entry is lodged ahead of arrival where possible, drayage is pre-booked, and delivery is scheduled inside the free-time allowance.
Questions
Ocean Freight, answered.
When should I use FCL instead of LCL?
As a working threshold, above roughly 13 to 15 cubic metres a 20-foot container usually beats LCL on total landed cost, because LCL is billed per revenue tonne and adds destination CFS charges. Below that, consolidation is normally cheaper. Fragile or high-value cargo can justify a full container earlier, since it avoids being stripped and re-handled alongside other shippers' freight.
What is the difference between demurrage and detention?
Demurrage accrues while the container is still inside the terminal past its free days. Detention accrues once the container has left the terminal and has not been returned by its due date. They are separate charges from separate parties, and a delayed clearance can trigger both at once.
What happens if the ISF is filed late?
US Customs and Border Protection can assess liquidated damages per violation and can issue a do-not-load message, which leaves the container at the origin port. Because the deadline is 24 hours before loading, a late filing surfaces days before the sailing, so we manage it as its own milestone, separate from the export paperwork.
How long does ocean transit take?
Port-to-port transit varies by service string, transhipment and season, and a published schedule reflects the carrier's planned transit, which can change. We quote the carrier's current schedule for your specific service and keep it clearly separate from the door-to-door estimate, which includes origin collection, customs and final delivery.
Reference
Key figures and specifications.
Reference data to help you plan shipments and compare quotations.
Standard dry equipment
- 20ft general purpose
- ≈ 33 m³ · payload ≈ 28,000 kg
- 40ft general purpose
- ≈ 67 m³ · payload ≈ 26,500 kg
- 40ft high cube
- ≈ 76 m³ · payload ≈ 26,500 kg
- 45ft high cube
- ≈ 86 m³ · payload ≈ 27,600 kg
- 20ft / 40ft reefer
- ≈ 28 m³ / ≈ 59 m³ · −30 °C to +30 °C
Internal capacities are nominal and vary by manufacturer and box age.
LCL billing
- Basis
- Weight or measure (W/M)
- Revenue tonne
- 1 m³ or 1,000 kg, whichever is greater
- Minimum
- Typically one revenue tonne
- Destination
- CFS stripping and handling charged separately
Critical deadlines
- ISF 10+2, US import
- At least 24 h before foreign loading
- VGM, SOLAS
- Before the terminal loading cut-off
- Documentation cut-off
- Typically 2–4 days pre-sailing
- Cargo cut-off
- Typically 1–3 days pre-sailing
Documentation set
- Bill of Lading (master and house) or sea waybill
- Commercial invoice and packing list
- Importer Security Filing data set, for US imports
- Verified Gross Mass declaration
- Certificate of origin and any preference document under a trade agreement
- Fumigation, phytosanitary or health certificates where the commodity requires them
Also relevant
Related services.
Air Freight Forwarding
Time-critical and high-value cargo on established airline and handling partners, with chargeable weight, screening and documents confirmed before booking.
Out-of-Gauge & Cargo Facility
Cargo beyond standard container dimensions: planned, secured and handled through terminals equipped for it.