Your company is planning on exporting its products overseas for the very first time.

What are the essentials that you’ll need to get this process started?

Here are five of them.

1. Shipping Containers

Of course, one of the essentials your company needs for exporting products overseas is shipping containers. Shipping containers are standardized vessels that are designed to transport cargo via truck, train, and ship. Your products won’t get far without one.

Where can you access shipping containers? Go to Boxhub to find top-quality shipping containers that will match your exporting needs. If you need to transport small volumes of heavy cargo, pick their 20ft shipping containers.

If you need to transport large volumes of lighter cargo, then pick their 40ft shipping containers. In case you’re unsure of what types of containers match your exporting needs, talk to one of their specialists. They will help you make the best picks.

2. Proper Packaging

A shipping container can protect your cargo from the elements. As long as it’s in good condition, it will guard the contents against wind, rain, seawater, and sunshine. But it can’t protect your cargo against everything when it’s not properly packaged.

You’ll want your cargo to remain safe and stable while the shipping container is jostled throughout the transportation process. Without the right packaging, your items will move around and could succumb to damage.

Items should be transported in crates with plenty of protective filler and then placed on top of wooden pallets. Wooden pallets will keep the items raised off the floor (a wise precaution in case there is flooding or pest infestation), and they will stop items from shifting and sliding during transit.

3. Proper Documentation

Proper documentation is essential for exporting products overseas. Without the right documents on hand, your items won’t reach their intended destination. In certain cases, your company will get charged for a re-direct, as your shipping container is brought back to you.

What documents does your company need? One of the most important documents is called a Bill of Lading.

This document will include a clear description of the goods inside the shipping container, the size of the container, the weight of the load, and other related details. Providing the wrong information could result in additional charges or a redirect.

These are some other documents that you might need for your exports:

• Dangerous goods forms

These all depend on the products that you are exporting and where you’re exporting them to.

4. Transport Management System

Invest in a transport management system (TMS). A transport management system is a logistics platform that helps you execute and monitor your exports. The system can help you track your shipments via automatic equipment identification (AEI) readers.

Your shipments will be vulnerable to supply chain delays because of the weather, border restrictions, and labor shortages. So, these tracking features will keep you up to date on these delays.

5. Insurance

Your products are valuable. It would be disastrous if they were destroyed or lost at sea. It’s a rare occurrence, but it’s still possible for shipping containers to fall off ships in the middle of their journeys. So, you will want to protect your products from this worst-case scenario by getting marine cargo insurance.

Avoid all the struggles of shipping by investing in these essentials. Your first exporting experience will be a lot smoother with all of them.

Get them now!

Additionals:

• Review of the Types of Shipping Containers You Can Buy
• What is Driving Oil Prices, And Will They Continue Declining?
• 6 Facts Shippers Need to Know About Container Fumigation Requirements
• Reducing The Cost In Oil And Gas Industry With Supply Chain Visibility Software