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Ocean Shipping – Top Ocean Freight Questions Answered
Do you want to know about Ocean Shipping?  International Ocean Shipping?
We’re often asked questions about ocean shipping, how ocean freight works, and International Ocean Shipping terms.  We hope the following top 9 ocean shipping questions will help.

1. What is Ocean Freight or international ocean shipping?
Most of the times, the freight which is shipped to an international location is sent through sea vessels. The cost for this service refers to just the cost of sending the shipment across the ocean and not the other costs which are associated with it like the transportation till the container, the charges for storage etc.

2. What are the Surcharges?
The additional charges which would be applicable would be the basic charges for covering transportation from port to port, the delivery charges, documentation fees, security charges and fuel surcharge.

3. What Does Container Yard Mean?
CY or container yard refers to the facility where the empty and loaded containers are accepted for loading the on board vessels.

4. What Does FOB Mean?
FOB refers to Free on Board. The term is used for indicating that the consignor would be responsible for the goods transportation to the shipment port and for the loading cost. The consignee would have to pay the cost for the unloading, insurance, ocean freight and related costs.

5. What are Drop and Pick and Live Load?
When receiving a quote for ocean freight, the shipper should know the difference between drop and pick and live load. The responsibilities and prices for both are different. In live load, the driver would transport just an empty container to the shipper who would have to load the container in specified time which is normally is two hours and container would then be sealed and secured by the driver. In drop and pick facility, the driver would deliver the container and leave it for some days. Once the container is loaded, the driver would have to retrieve it and take it to the yard. This facility would cost more than a live load.

6. What are the Main Shipping Documents which are Used?
For international sipping, there are a few documents which would be required according to the law like the Bill of Lading, certificate of origin, quota/visa, fumigation certificate, packing materials and weight description, packing list, commercial invoice or an inventory list ,Copy of passport of shippers along with the other required legal documents.

7. What is Bill of Lading?
A Bill of Lading (B/Lor BOL )in ocean freight refers to a document which is issued by a carrier indicating that the goods have been received for transportation to a specific consignee and place. The document would have to be legally signed since it is a contract between the shipper and the carrier.

8. What is SED?
Quite a lot of shippers are also required to complete the SED or the shipper’s Export Declaration. This document is a form which is used by the government in order to compile the statistics for the exports. There are a few shipments which would not have to be reported.

9. Would the Freight be Insured?
Most carriers would only limit their liability to the damage of cargo. The limitation would vary according to the carrier but the shipper should find out the exact details about ocean freight insurance. The shipper might also have to get extra insurance before sending the shipment.
 
Freight Density Calculator
In case you didn’t know, it is becoming more and more vital to understand the true density of your products when it comes to shipping. Parcel and less-than-truckload providers charge for their services based on the density of your freight. Every few months the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) adjusts a product that was a flat class, to what's called a “density item”. This means the freight class on that item could change based on how dense it is. So it is imperative that you know what the formula for calculating freight density is:

Which is height x width x depth in inches. Then you divide the total number of cubic inches by 1728 to get the number of cubic feet.