Have you ever wondered how goods are shipped from around the world country to country by these huge ocean-going vessels?

Well… here’s an interesting insight into how it all works.

The Booking Process

Bookings are generally made by your Freight-Forwarder who will have contact with the pickup point, then they will prepare the paperwork and book the space on the ship for you. Collections are arranged and then your goods are taken to the port. If your goods do not a fill a whole container, they will be placed with other shipments in a container to ensure all space is utilised.

Arriving at the Port

When containers arrive at the port they are loaded onto ships by massive cranes. Once the space below deck has been filled, a cover is placed on top, this means that even more containers can be added above deck. The containers are stacked on top of each other and can be stacked up to nine high! Once loaded they are now ready to set sail on their journey.

How do you dock a cargo-vessel?

Once the ship has reached its port, it is time for docking. When you are sailing a vessel the size of a small island you can’t just pull up to a space and ‘park’, it is a delicate manoeuvre which takes a highly experienced Pilot to successfully accomplish.

When the ship is on the final approach into the port, a local Maritime Pilot will board the ship to assist the ship’s Pilot on docking. A local Pilot is used because they possess the local knowledge of the port. Next a tugboat will push and guide the ship into its designated slot at the dock. Once this has been done the ship will be berthed using ropes.

The Unloading Process

The last stage is the unloading process this can take a good few days depending on the ports and how busy they are. The goods will be inspected by local Customs authorities and the appropriate duties and taxes will be applied. This will be communicated to the Receiver to arrange payment.

Finally, the goods will be loaded on to the delivery vehicle for their onwards journey to their destination.

Are you are interested to learn more about seafreight and how it can support your business? All you need to do today is email us at info@atwslogistics.co.uk and an experienced member of our team will be in touch.