When moving freight, improper planning can lead to incurring of extra shipping costs, which is not fruitful for any business organization. You need to be able to maximize time as well as cost-efficiency and this can only be done by having a detail-oriented plan.

The most common mistake in freight shipping starts right at the beginning of the process. The volumetric weight and gross weight of the package are different and need to be calculated before forwarding the shipment. Ignoring this aspect can affect the final weight of the shipments and also increase the freight cost.

Discussed below are some ways to avoid this mistake while shipping freight:

• Have a descriptive packing list: Your packing list must clearly mention the names of the origin and destination ports. Apart from the description of cargo, dimensions and gross weight, the dimensions of the pallets also need to be mentioned if they are being used. This will help in avoiding unnecessary costs in the end.
• Work out the weight according to airline rules: Every airline checks the final gross weight as well as volume weight. Out of the two, whichever weight is greater is applied by the airlines. Therefore, it is up to you to get the correct weight of the cargo as per the rules of the airlines. Airlines use a ratio of 166. Firstly, you need to multiply the package’s length, width and height (all in inches) to get the cubic inches. Then, divide the cubic inches by 166 to get the volume weight in pounds. 
• Take into account the aircraft’s cargo space: There may be higher restrictions per package in case of combi-aircrafts as compared to ‘freight-only’ aircrafts. However, the advantage here is that you can have more flexibility in terms of pricing. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) keeps a check on the usage of combi-aircraft but only for known shippers. Therefore, your freight forwarder should be added into the known shipper list to get TSA certification.

In conclusion, it can be said that it is crucial to be clear about the dimensions of your freight carriage and how it will affect your overall costs as well as logistics. Get complete information about your carrier and the method according to which they have set their prices. This will help you better manage your shipping costs.

For more freight shipping tips, feel free to contact Santos International at (956) 627 – 3035.