Knowing the weight of your shipment is extremely important. Knowing the weight allows the freight forwarder to properly bill you for your shipment. Freight quotes are determined by weight, class, and dimensions. Not accurately weighing your freight can mean that you will not be quoted accurately.

What happens if my shipment weighs more than what is stated on the Bill of Lading?

The party who paid for the shipment will have to pay for the additional weight when the freight carrier or freight broker sends the bill or a re-bill. Re-bills are not significant when the weight is off a small amount, but if the weight is grossly understated, it can be costly.

Will I get a refund if my weight is under than what is stated on the Bill of Lading?

More than likely, you will not. But if the weight difference is significant, it can be worth your time to contest the original Bill of Lading.

How can I get proof of what my shipment weighed?

After the freight carrier weighs a shipment, a document called a certified weight check is issued. This is proof that your shipment was weighed and shows when it was weighed, which scale was used, and how much it weighed.

How can I weigh all my boxes?

The quickest Do-It-Yourself way would be to stand on a scale and weigh yourself, then pick up a box and stand on the scale again, calculate the difference and keep a running total.

According to Masterline Logistics, a container seal is a device inserted into the handle assembly on the door of the container, numbered and coded and referenced on the bill of lading and manifest.

Container seals typically look like this picture, though there are many varieties of seals. The important thing to note is that container seals have a series of numbers and/or letters on them. This code is known as the seal code and is extremely important.

So why is the container seal code important?

According to The World of Shipping, whoever receives the container must make sure that the seal code shown on the bill of lading exactly matches the seal code physically on the container.

If the bill of lading and the physical seal do not match, the shipper needs to be notified immediately. It is possible that the wrong freight is being delivered and an investigation by the carrier and the company responsible for the initial shipment needs to take place.

A broken or damaged seal indicates that the cargo in the container may have been tampered with. The sophistication of seals can range from a simple, numbered plastic tag to an electronic seal that immediately indicates through global electronic positioning technology when and where it has been broken.

Welcome to Part Three in our three part series for new and first-time shippers.

Part Three: Transit and Delivery

Once your shipment has been picked up, it will be assigned a PRO number for tracking. This number will allow you to check the status and location of your shipment so that you can prepare for its arrival.

If you’re shipping to a residential location, the destination terminal will often call to set a time for delivery and to make sure someone will be present. That’s why it’s especially important to provide an accurate phone number and contact name for the destination.

Thanks for tuning in to our three-part series. I hope you’ve found this information useful, and I hope it’s shown you just how easy it is to ship freight with a third party provider, even if you only need to ship something once.

At ShippingDiscounts.com we have been asked what customers can do to make sure their liquids can be shipped safely. Shipping liquids or any items that can spill or leak can be difficult. Ehow has listed some steps that you can take when shipping liquids:

Use a bigger box than you need. This is the one case when over-packaging is a good thing. Fill all extra space with cushioning such as bubble wrap, styrofoam, packing peanuts, shredded paper, or crumpled newspaper. You can find good materials at the post office or at office supply stores. By filling the extra space with packing material you are preventing them against the movement that can split containers during transit.

Tape all lids closed. It might be a nuisance to remove later, but it’s better to have too much tape than too little. Taping containers both over the top and around the screw-on area keeps them from becoming loose during their journey with potential bouncing and pressure changes.

Place containers in plastic bags if possible. Place your taped containers into plastic bags before filling and packing the container. This adds an extra measure of safety in case the liquids do indeed leak.

Place a warning on the box. Let the shipper know that the box contains liquids. This way your packages will be handled with extra care.