How We Can Help
Sea freight LCL is a form of transport that involves your goods sharing space with other people’s goods inside a shipping container between one country and another country and travelling by ship. It is a popular shipping method to allow you to move bulky or heavy cargo that is not time sensitive; it allows you to bring your products across long distances and in larger quantities [than would usually be shipped by air freight].
However, for beginners, navigating the intricacies of international sea freight shipping can be daunting. At Platinum® Freight Management, we believe that sea freight LCL shouldn’t be a hassle for anyone. This is why we have put together a guide to help beginners understand how sea freight LCL works and how we can help.
What is Sea Freight LCL?
LCL stands for Less than a Container Load, an international shipping term meaning you do not have enough cargo to fill a Full Container Load [FCL]. Therefore, your cargo will share space with other traders’ goods. Sea freight LCL allows multiple traders to be consolidated into one FCL container to save shipping costs. This means that each trader only pays for the space that they occupy within the shipping container. At Platinum® Freight Management, we are happy for your overseas supplier to ship the goods from overseas to New Zealand, or we can ship the goods from overseas on your behalf – we are happy either way.
How Does Sea Freight LCL Work?
Sea freight LCL works by consolidating multiple small sea cargo shipments into one shipping container. This helps to lower the shipping costs for every trader and makes it easier for importers to import small shipments before they need to Full Container Loads. At Platinum® Freight Management, we work with your overseas supplier and yourself to determine the best option for your business. We can also provide you with an estimated arrival date in New Zealand as we monitor your shipment from when it is shipped from overseas.
What Documents Are Required for Sea Freight LCL?
There are a suite of shipping documents that we will need from your overseas supplier when you have cargo travelling as sea freight LCL. We would provide your overseas supplier with a list of documents that we would require, and we would check them for accuracy before approving them to be printed. Some of the documents that we would require would include 1) a commercial invoice, 2) a packing list, 3) a bill of lading, 4) Free Trade Certificate and 5) an insurance policy. At Platinum® Freight Management, we know all the issues that will arise before anyone else; we assist our importers by ensuring all of the documentation is correct before the goods depart from overseas. We have seen scenarios with other freight forwarders where the goods have arrived in Auckland, but the client is based in Christchurch or Wellington; this is a very costly mistake.
How Can Platinum® Help?
At Platinum®, we can offer you a point-to-point sea freight LCL service. We are able to arrange the shipping to New Zealand, customs clearance and delivery. We are also happy for your overseas supplier to ship the goods to New Zealand, and we will customs pre-clear the goods prior to arrival. With our expertise, we can make shipping through sea freight LCL as stress-free as possible.
Why Rely Upon Platinum Freight®?
Firstly, you should rely upon Platinum Freight® for your sea freight LCL shipping as we have over twenty-three years of customs and freight forwarding experience; we know all of the issues that can occur – before they even occur. Secondly, we have a team of dedicated customs professionals ready to provide you with a personalised service. Thirdly, we offer competitive rates and strive to offer the best value for our clients.
Conclusion:
Shipping your cargo as sea freight LCL doesn’t have to be daunting. With the help of Platinum®, it can be a stress-free experience. We are able to provide you with a point-to-point service, monitoring your cargo and pre-clearing your cargo through the New Zealand Customs Service [NZCS] – which will save delays and storage costs.
Choose Platinum® New Zealand for your next sea freight LCL shipment and experience the difference.