Why Paperwork is Important for Shipping

Paperwork

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear a word combination “freight transportation”? Boxes, containers, roads, trucks, ships? There are lots of available variants. The greater part of people is sure that transportation is only about constant moving. But the reality is that alongside physical movements, you have to deal with copious documentation, too.

The first thing you should realize is that you have to deal with many papers. They should be filled out carefully. Otherwise, you risk experiencing various problems. It’s worth mentioning that the mistakes in papers may lead to delays, financial losses, unsatisfied clients. If you are not good at accounting and understand nothing about logistics, it’s better to entrust paperworks to specialists. Nowadays it’s possible to find a reliable and competent freight forwarder. The logistics experts know for sure which forms should be filled out and how to do this in the best possible way.

There are several reasons why it’s not a good idea to ignore documentation:

  • You don’t know what you pay for.

Every service should be paid for. When you receive the final bill for your shipment, the figures may seem weird. It’s possible to clarify all the details of the bill only when you have the corresponding papers. Documents are your helpers when it comes to avoiding overpayments;  

  • In case of emergency, you can hardly count on reimbursement.

Freight forwarding may be rather risky. No wonder, it’s a must to protect your cargo from possible damages or losses. The best way to do this is to buy insurance. The coverage encompasses all the potential risks. In order to avoid fraud, you are to handle all the needed documentation;    

  • Deadlines are not adhered to.

Everyone is interested in fast freight services. No wonder, when placing an order, shippers want to get their orders completed as soon as possible. Yet, handshake agreements are not always followed by unfair carriers. It’s better to focus on deadlines defined by a written agreement. 

The Most Important Documents

If you want to keep everything under your own control, you need to know what main transportation papers are and what information they should include. Then, the following information will be rather helpful for you.

  • Certificates of origin.

They denote the owners of the cargo and freight peculiarities;

  • The CMR transport document.

It defines the responsibilities and liabilities of the parties of the transportation process;

  • Bill of lading.

It’s a specific contract for maritime carriage. It defines the ownership of the items;

  • Dangerous goods forms.

They are necessary if you need to transport dangerous products.

It’s not the whole list of all the possible papers. It’s necessary to get to cooperate with competent logistics managers in order to gather all the needed samples.

There is one more important thing to be mentioned about documentation. Although nowadays the greater part of forms can be filled out online, it’s better to print them. It helps you to avoid losing data because of technological errors.

So, freight transportation is a rather complicated process. It encompasses several significant stages and you should ignore none of them. Documentation is a must for the successful and secured fulfillment of your orders.