International Freight Transport: Types, Regulations, and Logistics
International Freight Transport
International transport is the delivery of products for sale in a country other than the one they originate. The three components are: transportation infrastructure, transportation services, and the transactional environment.
Stages of Transport Operations
Stages of transport operations: static or preparation stage: it takes place when the physical protection of goods is carried out. Dynamic or movement stage: is when vehicles are used and it takes place during the itinerary.
Characteristics of International Freight Transport
Characteristics of international freight transport: longer distance and time, multiple participants, customs procedures, trade regulations, coordination, insurance cover, packing and packaging regulations.
Types of Transport
Types of transport: land, water, pipelines, and air. It depends on the size and weight of the goods, the type of goods, the cost, the distance, and the time needed.
Land Transport
Land: Road: Advantages: door-to-door delivery and fairly fast. Disadvantages: limited capacity, air pollution, and environmental damage.
Rail: Advantages: low cost and environmental impact, low accident rate. Disadvantages: slow, size limits.
Pipeline Transport
Pipelines: Advantages: convenient, economical. Disadvantages: only for liquids and gases, high installation and maintenance costs.
Air Transport
Air: Advantages: fast, safe, and secure. Disadvantages: expensive, only suitable for small, lightweight goods.
Water Transport
Water: Inland waterways: Advantages: not congested, low environmental impact. Disadvantages: slow, not fully integrated as part of intermodal transport.
Sea and ocean transport: Advantages: cheap, suitable for long distances. Disadvantages: slow, affected by bad weather.
Freight Forwarders
Freight forwarder: large organizations that can offer domestic or international services.
Globalization
Globalization: Advantages: the transport of goods and people is quicker and easier, corporations increase their operations across borders. Disadvantages: it widens the power gap, particularly in developing countries, there is a higher risk of the spread of communicable diseases.
Key Players in Transport
Shipper: (cargador): is the one who hires the transportation. Carrier: (transportista): the person who takes responsibility for the transportation of goods. Consignee: (destinatario): the person or company who is financially responsible for the receipt of a shipment. Shipper: (expedidor): is the person in charge of making the delivery of the goods to the carrier for transport.
Maritime Transportation
Maritime transportation: Shipowner: is the owner of the vessel. Captain: who is in charge of the navigation and represents the flag state country in which the ship is registered. Consignee: which is the representative hired by the owner to manage all operations that require their vessels in port. Stevedore: which handles loading and lashing of goods on ships. Chartering agent: who hires the use of a vessel.
Air Transportation
Air transportation: The air cargo agent: is the main element, normally a freight forwarder that manages air transport for their customers. Handling: services provided to aircraft for the operations of loading and unloading of travelers or merchandise at the air terminals.
Intermodal and Multimodal Transport
Intermodal transport: is the movement of cargo from origin to destination by several modes of transport, each with its own independent contract. Multimodal transport: is the movement of cargo from origin to destination by several modes of transport, under a single contract. Domestic transport: also called National transport, goods are only transported within the borders of the country.
Organization of Transport
The organization of transport: In-sourcing: it allows the coordination of journeys and deliveries, the company’s own means are used for door-to-door deliveries. Outsourcing: the main reason is to reduce costs, track, and trace.
Elements Involved in Transport
Elements involved in transport: Physical elements: merchandise: bulk cargo and packaged goods. Infrastructures: road transport terminals, railway terminals, maritime terminals, air terminals, and intermodal centers. Vehicles.
Factors Affecting Transport Selection
Factors that affect the selection of transport: The characteristics of the goods, means and accessibility, price of transportation, the contractual conditions of transport.
Transport Regulations
Regulations: Road transport: CMR. Rail transport: CIM. Maritime transport: the bill of lading. Air transportation: the air waybill. Multimodal transport: FIATA bill of lading. FIATA, BIMCO, ASTIC, LLOYD REGISTER, IATA, UIC, ICS.
Standards and Packaging
ISO: the International Organization for Standardization.
Packing and Packaging
Packing and packaging: packaging is the cover that protects the objects to be transported, in addition to facilities: handling, transport, and integrating. Rules on pallets and the use of wood, Identification Requirements, Collection and recycling, Compliance with the rules.
Packing: it’s every solid or impermeable container capable of containing and protecting sensitive substances or products that are difficult to conserve, transport, and use. Packaging: is used for the protection of goods, but this term also refers to the display of the product for retail, a technique that identifies and allows easy handling of the package.
Types of Packaging
Primary Packaging: is the packaging in direct contact with the product itself. Secondary Packaging: branding display and logistical purposes. Tertiary Packaging: protection, handling, and transportation.
Europallet and ISPM 15
Europallet: 800*1200 mm, 27 kg, up to 4000 kg static load and up to 1000 kg dynamic load. ISPM 15: the phytosanitary regulation tries to prevent the entry of pests, insects, or parasites that can be found on wood.
Barcodes
Bar code: Bernard Silver and Norman Joseph Woodland invented a symbol with black lines and white spaces to be used to provide product information in time to pay. The first bar code was patented in 1952. But it wasn’t until 1973, created by George J. Laurer, that it could be used commercially. Now the barcode is required to play a part in any sector or field. New regulations in the pharmaceutical or food industry require further information on the products to improve consumer protection.