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Door to Door services from China – A step by Step Guide

A door-to-door service is made up of five physical steps and two administrative steps.
Since each step comes with significant costs, it is essential to agree with the carrier on the responsibilities of each part before transporting the goods.
Incoterms is the only tool that will enable you to clearly define responsibilities during the whole process.

Transport From The Factory To The Warehouse

The transfer of goods from the supplier’s factory to the freight forwarder’s warehouse is called the “Export Haulage”.

This first step generally includes the use of one or several trucks (possibly trains), and usually takes only a few days depending on the distance to be traveled.

The party responsible for the logistic organization and for the payment of transport for export will depend on the agreement between the supplier and the buyer.

If the agreement stipulates that the buyer is responsible for the shipment, then the buyer must arrange the transportation of the goods from the factory to the agreed final destination.

On the other hand, if the agreement stipulates that the buyer takes responsibility for the transport half-way, the sender will be in charge of the shipment since this first step.

If it is your responsibility to organize an “export haulage” because your supplier does not offer this service, contact us now for advice!

Export Customs Declaration

Customs clearance for export is required by the authorities of the country of origin to register all cargoes leaving the territory.

Customs clearance is carried out by an authorized customs broker.

A document declaring carefully every items contained in the cargo is required, as well as other supporting administrative documents (e.g. Chinese export licenses).

Again, for a fast and efficient shipment, it is essential to agree on a clear distribution of responsibilities with your supplier, in order to determine who will handle the customs declaration before departure.

Origin Handling Charges And Services

The handling of the goods before departure comes with several tasks to be performed by the freight forwarder or the agent.

The freight forwarder receives the goods after unloading the truck to proceed to a detailed inspection of the shipment.

The cargo will be accepted after inspecting the packing and controlling all the administrative documents.

Handling At The Port / Airport Of Loading

Once the shipment has been accepted, it is stored in the warehouse and loaded into a container for shipment to the agreed port / airport of destination.

The goods can be loaded on one or several containers depending on the total volume of the shipment.

If the volume is insufficient to fill an entire container, the shipment will be loaded into a shared container with goods from other customers, to reach the same final destination port.

This is what we call LCL shipments (Less than a container load).

A few days before departure, the various shipments are packed in the container and transported by truck to the port / airport. The container is stacked with other containers to be loaded on the same vessel.

The freight forwarder is always the one who is responsible of this step of the logistic chain.

However, the payment of the origin handling may be made by the supplier or the buyer, according to what has been agreed between them.

Sea Or Air Freight ?

Door-to-door service takes freight into consideration in the shipping option which will be offered. Depending on its needs and expectations, the buyer has the choice between air freight or ocean freight.

The choice of freight is influenced by two main factors:

• The volume / weight of the goods
• The urgency of the situation

The main difference between ocean freight and air freight is transit time.

In fact, air freight only takes a few days for an European-Asian route (for example, only 5-7 days for China-UK door-to-door) while this transit time goes up to at least one month by sea ( 40/45 days by sea freight for China-UK, door to door).

For more details on our door-to-door services, contact a SINO Shipping advisor now!

Customs Clearance On Arrival

The authorities require import customs clearance on arrival for all goods entering the country.
This step consists in declaring the goods and their values ​​in order to determine the amount of the duty payable (in case there is no exemption).

Customs clearance consists of presenting all the required documentation to the customs authorities to get the cargo released and move on with the process.

The customs clearance process can begin even before the shipment reaches its destination and must be over before the shipment crosses the country’s trade barriers.

Cargo is considered as entering the country when it crosses the border and leaves a customs zone (or international zone).

A freight forwarder, its agent or a designated customs broker may perform the customs clearance as long as they hold a valid license.

The person in charge of the customs clearance should receive all the documents required to get the process started.

Usually, the process can be started with scanned copies of the documents, even though some authorities require originals before they can fully complete the process.

Unless the Incoterm DDP applied to the shipment (Customs Duty Paid), it is the buyer’s responsibility to arrange and pay for customs clearance.

Often, it is easier to let your freight forwarder, or the agent clear your shipment, as long as they have all the necessary documents.

To learn more about customs clearance procedures, contact a Linkway Freight at your convenience!

Handling At Destination

Multiple tasks must be completed once the cargo reaches its final destination.

It begins when the shipment is received, and the documents are being verified by the agent there.

Then, the container is taken out of the storage unit at the port and transported to the destination warehouse where the cargo is inspected and sorted for delivery or collection.

Delivery To Destination

The transfer of the cargo from the warehouse to the consignee’s address is designated as “destination or import haulage”. One or several trucks (sometimes even a train) are hired to transport the goods to the warehouse.

This step can take a few days, depending on the distance.

In a door-to-door service, the transport is carried out by the forwarder who takes care of the final delivery.
The customer can also pick up the goods at the freight forwarders warehouse and then handle the final delivery on his own.
Usually, individuals / companies operating on a tight budget opt for this solution, which is obviously quite cheaper.

This chapter is all about shipment documents when using FCL services. 

I will show you what documents are necessary , what are optional and when needed 

The key point ? Prepare in time.