Shipping guides, in plain English.
Short, practical guides to the dates, documents and charges that decide whether a shipment arrives on time and on budget.
Container tracking statuses explained: what each one meansWhat container tracking statuses such as gate in, loaded, discharged, gate out and empty returned mean, the order they usually follow, and which ones need action.6 min read How to track a shipment with a bill of lading numberHow to track an ocean shipment with its bill of lading number: what the number looks like, master vs house B/L, one B/L with several containers, and what to do when it is not found.5 min read Demurrage vs detention: what they are and how to avoid themWhat demurrage and detention are, how free time works, why the charges build up, and practical ways importers avoid them.6 min read How to read a container number (ISO 6346)What each part of a shipping container number means, how the check digit works, how to read size-type codes like 45G1, and the mistakes to avoid.5 min read Original B/L, telex release, sea waybill or eBL: when documents must travel by courierWhen an original bill of lading must be couriered, how telex releases, sea waybills and electronic B/Ls differ, and how to stop documents holding up cargo.6 min read Rolled over: what it means when your container misses its shipWhat a rollover is, why containers get rolled to a later vessel, what it does to your ETA, and how to reduce the chance of it happening.4 min read ETA, ETD, ATA and ATD: shipping time terms explainedWhat ETA, ETD, ATA, ATD, ETB, cut-off and free time mean, where each date comes from, and why the arrival date keeps changing.4 min read