2. Organization of shipping operations

In the whole World each country has to import the articles and commodities it does not produce itself and also it has to export its own manufactured articles and raw materials. Foreign trade involves specialized knowledge and highly-trained personnel. And also the transportation matter is a very important part of any transaction with the goods between the Buyer and the Seller.

In accordance with the above said there are a lot of transportation, forwarding, agencies, etc. companies which offer and support the transportation services. But frequently the large merchant firms have got their own import-export department which deal with all the transportation questions.

Typically, the customer orders forwarding agent to organize cargo transportation. At this moment hard work with cargo transportation begins and it must be done highly professional and due time. Cargo may be transported to the port terminal by several ways, first by railway, than by motor transport and by river transport. Before vessel’s arrival forwarder must prepare all necessary documents and preparations. First of all he instructs terminal about shipment of appointed consignment to certain vessel by means so called shipping order form. Shipping order and cargo list must be verified in customs house. Then on the basis of these documents preliminary Cargo plan is drawn up. The Cargo plan is to be signed by ship’s Master before loading. Copy of shipping order is handed over to the shipping agent and it confirms consignment‘s readiness for loading. Before the commencement of loading forwarding agent, stevedore and port authority’s representative must check up cargo spaces. Cargo tallying and condition control during loading are carried out by agent’s tallyman on behalf of cargo owner and stevedoring company. On the basis of tallymen’s lists cargo mate signs the shipping order and it becomes mate’s receipt. In the case of shortage or damaged condition of goods or defects of packing he is to make appropriate remarks in this mate‘s receipt. The mate’s receipts are delivered to the shippers, to the stevedoring company or to the agent. Then Shipping agent makes out Bs/L and delivers it together with manifest, which must be signed by master, on board the vessel, the copy of manifest is also kept on board to be presented to the customs house when required.

After vessel‘s sailing from the port forwarder finds out vessel‘s ETA (excepted time of ship’s arrival) and after proper checking of all shipping documents he sends complete set to the customer. On receiving of the precise ETA from the ship’s Master, the Agent is to make preliminary arrangements for unloading the cargo. At the port of discharging cargo must be unloaded in accordance with relevant port regulations. The Agent notifies the Port Authority and the consignee about ship’s arrival. Agent is charged to secure a berth, to obtain sufficient labour and cargo handling facilities. The receiver will sign the Bill of Lading if the cargo has been taken by him to his complete satisfaction. Such endorsement is called “clean receipt”.

According to the contract the agent is bound to collect from the receivers of goods the freight and other charges due to the shipowners. The master of the ship may deliver the cargo only after he ascertained that the freight and other charges have been paid.

This is a short example of the cargo transportation by sea.