When it comes to shipping your products, it can seem like there is an endless amount of rules to take into account. However, unless you learn to play by the rules of the game, you won’t be able to play at all. Getting smart on shipping requirements and regulations early on will help you save time and money.
Getting It There
In detail…
Unless customers are coming directly to your warehouse to shop, chances are that at some point, your products will have to be shipped. Despite the fact that getting your product from point A to point B seems pretty simple, rest assured that it has its fair share of challenges. In today’s world, there are specific rules and regulations that govern product shipments. If you don’t play by the rules, you run the risk of delays, legal issues, and shipments ending up in the wrong place (or getting lost altogether). Any one of these mishaps makes for unhappy customers who may not give you a second shot to get it right.
You’ve poured way too much time and money into your business only to fail in the eleventh hour. That’s why we’re here to help you get smart on shipping documentation and related regulatory requirements. Understanding the relevant shipping rules for your business will ultimately enable you to ship like a pro…no matter where your final products need to go.
In detail…
First things first: make sure that you have your shipping documents in order. One of the main types of shipping documentation is referred to as a bill of lading (BOL), which is required for moving freight shipments. The BOL plays a number of different roles – it serves as a receipt of freight services, conveys the freight terms, serves as a contract for carriage, and also serves as a delivery receipt. This kind of official document is issued by the shipping company and is admissible in a court of law.
The freight bill is similar to the BOL, except that it cannot serve as a key piece of evidence in potential disputes. It can include additional charges, information, or stipulations that further clarify the information that was included on the BOL. On the other hand, a freight claim is a demand by a shipper or consignee upon a carrier (as for the reimbursement of an overcharge, or for loss or damage to goods accepted for transportation). Freight claims can occur for a variety of different reasons – some are real, some are contrived, and some can be prevented. All claims, however, can be controlled, understood, and kept to acceptable and reconcilable levels.
If your company is shipping products internationally, the required documentation is a bit more complex. Shipping rules and regulations differ based on location, so be sure to do your research before promising to ship to a new part of the globe. Please refer to the table below for additional information on international shipping documentation.
Shipping Documentation Requirements
Avoiding Shipping-Related Hazards
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In detail…
It’s also important that the environment in which you ship is up to snuff. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA), employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace. OSHA’s mission is to ensure that this is the case by setting and enforcing standards, and by providing training, outreach, education, and assistance. As an employer, you have to make sure that your company complies with all applicable OSHA standards. This includes compliance with the General Duty Clause of OSHA, which requires employers to keep their workplace free of serious, recognized hazards. Since conditions within shipping warehouses can sometimes get a little crazy, make sure that you have the necessary protocols and operating procedures in place to keep things running smoothly.
When it comes to other environmental concerns, normal shipping hazards in the freight environment can vary by shipping mode. Truckload, LTL (less than truckload), railcar, oceanic, and airfreight shipping environments typically include hazards that are unique to those particular modes. Many of the severe hazards are due to the number of separate handlings required and the mechanized material-handling equipment used in the process. Make sure that you do your research when it comes to your selected mode(s) of shipping so you can apply necessary preventative measures.