Shipping can be an expensive process for businesses, particularly for those that are small and newly established. Fortunately, there are ways that you can minimise your shipping expenses and save money.
1. Research Different Carriers
Different carriers have different rates, fees, and discounts. Taking the time to research different carriers, their prices, and whether they offer discounts will cut your shipping expenses greatly.
Alternatively, outsourcing to a third-party logistics company is another option for guaranteeing the best shipping rates. Although there may be greater upfront cost, most 3PL companies will have long-standing relationships with carriers and will therefore have access to lower rates and greater discounts. This will help save you money in the long-run.
2. Automate Your Shipping Processes
Automating your shipping processes as much as possible will save you time and money. It will also reduce the occurrence of human error and the amount of employees required to oversee orders and shipments.
3. Offer Free Shipping for a Minimum Expenditure
It is unrealistic for small businesses to offer free shipping on all orders. However, they should consider offering free shipping for minimum orders. Not only will this incentivise your customers, but it will also drive sales.
4. Encourage Sustainability
Implementing sustainable business shipping practices will not only save you money, but will also boost your business’ corporate social responsibility. Simply minimising packaging, reusing packaging from returned orders, and encouraging your customers to recycle their shipping materials will go a long way in improving your business’ reputation and decreasing its carbon footprint. You will also save money on packaging costs, so it’s a win-win for all.
5. Call ISS!
Last but not least, call ISS. Our team of experienced Customs Brokers and Shipping Specialists will help you cut shipping costs by determining the best way to pack and transport your goods and informing you of how you can avoid unnecessary expenses.
We also have long-standing and well-established relationships with carriers and transport providers around the world. This allows us to get the best rates and exclusive discounts and deals for our clients.
Container rollovers occur when a container doesn’t get loaded onto its intended vessel. It can occur for a number of reasons such as late gate in, incorrect or missing documentation, vessel overbooking, and port omission.
When a rollover occurs, the container is usually loaded onto the next available vessel, shipped through an alternative route, or changed to another carrier. This can cause considerable delays and, in some cases, additional fees.
Fortunately, there are ways shippers can reduce the chances of container rollover occurring. Read on for ISS’s top 4.
1. Place Advanced Bookings
Placing bookings in advance will greatly increase the chances of getting space on a vessel and decrease the risk of containers getting rolled over. Carriers publish schedules regularly, which are accessible online. Shippers should check these regularly and book as far in advance as possible.
2. Make Sure Shipping Documents are Correct
Ensuring all shipping documents contain the right information, are accurate, and comply with relevant regulations will reduce the chances of containers being rolled over as a result of insufficient or inaccurate documentation.
Ensuring that the shipping documents are correct is the responsibility of the shipper and should therefore be prioritised.
3. Split Shipments
Shipping large shipments that have a few containers can result in the entire shipment being rolled, even if there is only an issue with one container. Because of this, shippers should consider splitting shipments into multiple bills of lading. Do keep in mind, however, that this may incur additional shipping costs.
4. Avoid Transshipments
Transshipments typically have a higher container rollover rate compared to direct sailings. As a result, shippers should aim to ship directly as much as possible, particularly when shipping urgent cargo.
Following these tips will help you avoid container rollover. The best way to prevent delays and ship your goods seamlessly, however, is to use ISS! Our dedicated team of shipping professionals are highly experienced in getting goods from point A to point B without hassle and without container rollover.
Call us today for more information!
The process of customs clearance can be daunting to many business owners, particularly if you’re new to international shipping. Importing your goods into different countries requires a fair amount of time, research, and preparation.
Because of this, ISS has put together a quick guide to help you navigate customs clearance and avoid complications. Read on for ISS’s complete guide to customs clearance.
Key Factors Impacting Customs Clearance
There are a number of factors that can impact customs clearance . These are outlined below.
Nature of Your Goods
Customs clearance can be a slightly more strenuous process if your goods are classified as either dangerous or restricted. Dangerous goods (such as explosives, toxic materials, firearms, etc) will require additional documents including a Dangerous Goods Declaration. Perishable items, particularly food and agricultural produce will require quality and safety certification.
To find out whether your goods require additional documentation or certification, you should consult the government website of your destination country.
Free Trade Agreements
Importing to a country that has a free trade agreement in place with your origin country may mean that you are eligible for tariff reductions. You will need to ensure that your products are eligible for such reductions, and provide a certificate of origin if it is. In addition, you will need to look up the correct Harmonised System (HS) code of your product, include it in your shipping documents, and check the destination country’s tariff schedule for the applicable customs duty.
Digital Customs
More and more countries are opting for digital customs processes. Because of this, it is important that you familiarise yourself with the platform your destination country uses for customs clearance procedures and the processes that can only be done through these platforms.
Failure to declare your goods correctly and on time either digitally or physically will lead to clearance delays.
Key Documents in Customs Clearance
Customs clearance is a very document-heavy process. You will find that you’ll need to provide a wide range of detailed and accurate licences and certificates. Here are the key documents that you will need:
Shipping Bill
This is also called a bill of export. You can't export cargo by sea, air, or road without this document.
Commercial Invoice
The commercial invoice is a contract of sale between the shipper and receiver.
Packing List
The packing list contains details about the shipment including a description, quantity of goods, and weight.
Bill of Lading
The bill of lading is a contract of carriage between the shipper and the carrier, a receipt of shipped goods, and document of ownership of the cargo.
Import/Export Licences
Certain goods cannot be imported or exported without a licence issued by the relevant authority of a country. These licences are called import or export licences.
Certificate of Origin
The certificate of origin certifies that a product was manufactured, produced, and/or acquired in a particular country. Many countries will require a certificate of origin to clear your goods.
Health Certificates
Health certificates certify that consumable goods are fit for human consumption and meet all required safety and quality standards. A health certificate will typically be required for food and drink products.
Insurance Certificates
Insurance certificates are provided by insurance companies to confirm that goods are covered for any losses/damages during transit. This certificate helps determine the applicable duties.
The exact rules and documentation requirements for the exportation and importation of your goods will differ from country to country. Your best bet in ensuring you have everything you need for hassle-free customs clearance is to contact the ISS team.
Our experienced Customs Brokers will not only ensure that your shipments are cleared quickly and seamlessly, but will also help you to avoid paying unnecessary duties and expenses throughout the process.
Call ISS today for more information!
Less than container load (LCL) shipments refer to shipments that involve the sharing of containers with other shippers.
Since you don’t know what type of cargo will be packed with your cargo in LCL shipments, you should pack your goods in such a way that will minimise the occurrence of damage to your products and to your container-mates’ products. To do this, follow the following tips.
1. Use Strong and Sturdy Boxes
Packaging your goods in strong and sturdy boxes will prevent breakage during the handling and transport processes.
2. Use Double-Walled Boxes
Double walled boxes are simply heavy-duty cardboard boxes created with two layers of stacked corrugated cardboard. They are commonly used for transportation when added protection is necessary.
These boxes are strong enough to be stacked and will provide the best protection for your goods.
3. Tape-Up!
Unless you are shipping via reefer container, the container your goods are shipped in will go through extreme temperature changes. You should therefore ensure your products are taped sufficiently with good-quality tape to prevent your cargo from being damaged as a result of changes in temperature and humidity.
Lesser quality tape has a tendency to lose its ‘stickiness’ during transit, thus increasing the chances of your boxes collapsing.
4. Think About Your Wrapping
When wrapping your cargo, wrap in black shrink wrap to conceal the nature of your cargo (in case somebody nearby has the urge to steal it).
Wrap tightly and from bottom to top to avoid movement during transit.
5. Always Label Your Cargo
Label your cargo clearly and as required for the type of cargo you are sending. If your cargo is fragile or top load only, clearly mark these details on the packaging.
Doing this minimises the risk of your cargo being handled incorrectly, and ultimately reduces the chance of your cargo being damaged.
It will also prevent your cargo from being mixed up with your container-mates’ cargo when unloading and distributing.
Following these tips will help protect your LCL cargo during its transit.
If you have any additional questions or want to know what shipping method is best for you, get in touch with ISS today!
The bill of lading is arguably the most important document in the shipping industry. It’s a legally binding document that provides the carrier with all the details needed to process the freight shipment correctly.
The bill of lading is important for several reasons.
Evidence of Contract of Carriage
A common misconception about the bill of lading is that it is a contract between the buyer and seller or the contract between the carrier and shipper. Technically speaking, the document is not a contract, however it is evidence of the contract of carriage entered into between the carrier and the shipper in order to carry out the transportation of the freight as per the contract between the buyer and the seller.
Receipt of Goods
A bill of lading is issued by the carrier or their third party logistics provider to the shipper or 3PL in exchange for the receipt of the freight. The issuance of the bill of lading is proof that the carrier has received the goods from the shipper or their 3PL in good condition, as handed over by the shipper.
Title of the Goods in Shipment
Whoever holds the bill of lading at any time throughout the shipping process, holds the title to the goods. This title does, however, vary according to the way in which the bill of lading has been consigned.
For these reasons, it is very important that you make sure you get your bill of lading right.
Fortunately, ISS is here to help. Our team of shipping professionals are highly experienced in the freight industry and have an abundance of experience dealing with our clients’ bills of lading.
For more information, get in touch with the ISS team today!
Shipping is an important part of most retail businesses. Although shipping mistakes aren’t uncommon and oftentimes are out of the business owner’s control, taking measures to avoid them will help in preventing unnecessary shipping expenditure, delivery delays and poor customer experiences.
Read on for the 5 most common shipping mistakes and how to best go about avoiding them.
1. Unsuitable Packaging
Many issues that occur during shipping could be avoided by ensuring cargo is packaged sufficiently. If an item is not packaged properly, there is far greater risk of it getting damaged during the shipping process. This can be an unnecessary expense for you as it is your responsibility to replace the item and cover the additional shipping costs.
For more information on how to package your product correctly, read our Packaging Tips to Minimise Damage During Transit blog.
You may also want to consult a professional on the best way to package your goods.
2. Incorrect Shipment Weight
Although it may seem harmless, providing an incorrect estimate on the weight of your shipment can result in the incurrence of additional expenses. Few business owners are aware that fees are often charged by carrier companies for businesses that provide an incorrect or inaccurate shipment weight.
In order to avoid these fees, you want to ensure you weigh all your shipments and provide your carrier with an accurate shipment weight. Consider investing in a good-quality scale or outsourcing your shipping processes to an experienced logistics company entirely.
3. Using Only One Shipping Carrier
Different shipping providers offer different benefits. Having a multi-carrier shipping strategy gives your business flexibility to choose various carriers that differ in terms of scale, expertise, and geographical location.
This will therefore give you the best chance of providing your customers with the fastest delivery whilst saving your business money, particularly on international orders.
4. Wrong Address
Even the smallest error in recording the delivery address can have drastic effects on the shipping process of the order. This may lead to you needing to resend the item which can be an unnecessary expense and lead to customer dissatisfaction.
In order to avoid this from occurring, you want to minimise the possibility of error on both you and your customer’s side. Consider installing plug-ins into your website that will auto-fill your customer’s address and always triple-check the address your employees record on the package itself.
5. Not Maintaining Delivery Receipts
Maintaining proper delivery receipts will help prevent you from being held liable for damages that occur during transit.
They will also help you pin-point exactly when and where any damages occur so you can better avoid them in the future.
Shipping mistakes do happen, even if you take all necessary precautions to avoid them. One of the best ways to ensure your shipping runs as smoothly as possible though, is to outsource the logistics of your business to an experienced shipping services provider, such as ISS. We will tailor-make a shipping solution that gets your shipments to your customers as quickly and seamlessly as possible, without going over your budget.
Get in contact with our friendly team today for more information.
When it comes to shipping, there are some goods that are classified as dangerous and are regulated by the government and international standards. These items are referred to as ‘dangerous goods’ as they pose a risk to health, safety, and/or the environment during shipping.
To find out the types of dangerous goods and how to best go about shipping them, read on for ISS’s complete guide to shipping dangerous goods.
Types of Dangerous Goods
The different classes of dangerous goods are as follows.
Some examples of dangerous goods include:
Shipping Dangerous Goods
If you’ve identified your shipments as dangerous goods, you need to ensure you package them sufficiently and obtain the correct documentation.
Packaging Dangerous Goods
When packaging dangerous goods, you need to consider the following requirements:
Documents for Shipping Dangerous Goods
When shipping dangerous goods, you will need the following documents for customs:
Shipping dangerous goods requires a considerable amount of time, documentation, and preparation to get right. In order to ensure you get your dangerous goods from point A to point B successfully and safely, we recommend you get in contact with ISS. We can handle all shipping processes for you, so you can rest assured knowing your goods are being shipped safely and legally.
Call ISS today for more information!
At ISS, we believe that all businesses involved in shipping should have some understanding of the supply chain, moreover, their supply chain specifically. This is one of the reasons why supply chain visibility (SCV) is considerably important in conducting seamless business operations.
To find out more about supply chain visibility and how you can achieve it in your business, read on!
Basics of Supply Chain Visibility
SCV refers to a business’ ability to see and track activity across their supply chain. This information can come from a variety of sources, including enterprise resource planning systems, order management systems, warehouse management systems, transport management systems, supply chain software and technology, data analysis, and effective communication between all parties involved in the supply chain.
SCV allows businesses to gain more accurate insight into their supply chains and identify potential issues before they arise.
Benefits of Supply Chain Visibility
As time progresses, more and more businesses are striving to maximise their supply chain visibility. This is because SCV presents many benefits to businesses, their employees, and their customers. These benefits include:
Challenges of Supply Chain Visibility
Although supply chain visibility can greatly benefit businesses, there are a number of challenges that can hinder the implementation of SCV processes. These challenges include:
Despite these challenges, implementing SCV systems in your business can greatly benefit supply chain processes and save you money in the long-term.
For more information, get in contact with the ISS team.
We are pleased to announce that the ISS SHIPPING GROUP will be merging with FLA PTY LTD.
By joining forces, we will be able to grow our businesses and market share and work together to provide even better services for our loyal customers. With increased resources and networks, we will be better equipped to help our clients grow and reach new markets both internationally and domestically.
ISS and FLA have a long-standing history working together within the industry. It is through the friendship of Company Directors, Zoran Ilic and Dario Dicarla that we have decided to merge and create a much stronger business that provides greater opportunities for all.
Both companies will continue to operate as individual entities under their pre-existing names. The merger of the companies will not affect our usual business operations and we will continue to serve our clients diligently, with no disruption.
This merger is an exciting opportunity for us, our partners and our customers, alike. It will benefit us all and provide a stronger foundation for us to expand and grow together.
If you have any queries or concerns about the merger, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team and we will be happy to assist you.
Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to what’s to come in the near future!
On behalf of the entire ISS team, we are pleased to announce that Stevan Ilic will now be acting as a General Manager for the ISS Shipping Group.
Previously working as our NSW Operations Manager, Stevan will now be managing the Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane offices of ISS Shipping Group, which includes the recent FLA merger.
Managing Director, Zoran Ilic, expresses his enthusiasm for Stevan and the future of ISS, “I’m very excited that my son, Stevan, is taking a more senior role. I feel very confident that he has the capabilities to make sure the business continues to grow and expand.”
Stevan, who started at ISS right after graduating high school, recently celebrated 10 years at ISS in August of 2022. His extensive experience in the industry and at ISS in particular has equipped him with the skills and knowledge required to move into a more senior position.
“His [Stevan’s] knowledge over the last ten years has grown to a level that allows our business to take the next step with regards to the management structure of ISS,” says Zoran. “We are all very excited to welcome Stevan to his new role.”
The ISS Shipping Group is thrilled to announce the arrival of Robert Nikoloski as FLA’s Victorian Operations Manager! With decades of experience working in the shipping industry, Robert brings a wealth of knowledge and a fresh perspective to FLA. His passion for efficiency, customer service, and commitment to excellence make him a perfect fit for our growing team.
Robert’s journey in the freight and logistics industry started many years ago, when he commenced work as an Import Coordinator. Since then, he has taken on a multitude of different roles, where he has expanded his expertise and polished his skillset in import and export consulting and supervising, and business development.
Being customer service oriented, Robert consistently goes above and beyond to ensure his clients get what they need. He thrives on overcoming obstacles and exceeding the expectations of his customers time and time again.
At ISS and FLA, we pride ourselves on our commitment to providing top-notch shipping services to our clients worldwide. With Robert at the helm of FLA’s operations, we are confident that our services will reach new heights.
As we embark on this exciting new chapter with Robert, we invite all employees and clients to extend a warm welcome to him. His expertise in and passion for the industry will undoubtedly contribute to the continued success of the ISS Shipping Group.
Please join us in welcoming Robert to the ISS Shipping Group family! We look forward to the positive impact he will make on FLA’s operations and the growth of the business.
The waybill is one of the most important documents in shipping. It is often considered a ‘passport for shipments’ as it contains information about a shipment’s origin, destination, contents, and route. In addition, goods cannot be exported without a correctly filled and accurate waybill.
Because of this, it is extremely important that businesses get their waybills right. Fortunately, ISS is here to help with our guide to the waybill.
What is a Waybill?
Similar to a bill of lading, a waybill is a document issued by a carrier containing information regarding the shipment of a consignment of goods. It will typically contain information such as the names and addresses of the consignor and consignee, and the origin, destination and route of the shipment. The waybill does not, however, serve as a legal documentation of ownership.
Why are Waybills Important?
The waybill is very important in shipping as it prevents document loss and forged bills of lading. The waybill can also help simplify operation procedures and prevent delays and complications from arising throughout the shipping process.
The Different Types of Waybills
The two most common types of waybills are air waybills (AWB) and sea waybills (SWB).
Air Waybills
The air waybill serves as a contract of carriage between the shipper and the carrier through air. As such, it acts as a receipt of goods by airline carriers. AWBs define the conditions of the carriage, such as liabilities and procedures for claims. The format of the air waybill is fixed throughout the air freight industry, where information such as a description of goods as well as the charges can be found.
Sea Waybills
The sea waybill is similar to the air waybill in that it serves as a receipt given by the shipping line as well as a contract of carriage between the shipper and carrier by sea.
Both the air waybill and sea waybill are non-negotiable documents.
How do you Prepare a Waybill?
When preparing a waybill you need to include information such as:
Providing incorrect or inaccurate information on your waybill can be hugely problematic and can result in significant delays in shipping. Because of this, we always recommend that businesses call ISS.
With an abundance of experience in international shipping, we will ensure that all your shipping documentation is correct and all your shipping procedures are carried out seamlessly and efficiently.
For more information, contact ISS today!
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