At SRCO we aim to provide the customer with a complete solution to all your logistics needs. Large or small, we have the knowledge and the capabilities to sort out your shipment for you. Air, Sea, or Land we can get your goods from A to B with the minimum of fuss and with all the experience that our agents have, you can sit back and relax, we arrange everything so your shipment can arrive with the minimum of fuss!
These are just a few of the questions we know people ask themselves
Q) I’m exporting to another Country, any Suggestions?
A) Exporting from another countries is a need of time. Thanks to many years working in and around the industry, moving shipments both domestically and worldwide SRCO is able to help. SRCO is here to try and make life as easy as possible for you and has compiled a list of things that all good removal companies will advise. Even with the knowledge base that SRCO work from, this won’t be a complete list as it will always grow and WE are happy to take suggestions to make other people’s life easier.
Q) How urgent is the shipment?
A) If the shipment is urgent the best method of importing/ exporting is through Air otherwise through Seaport is a suitable alternative.
Q) What is the difference between sea and air?
A) Sea shipments are perfect for large quantities. This will take longer to arrive, but for bulky shipments, it is the most economical model. On full container loads, you also know that the goods will arrive at your door as they were packed when they left. Air shipments are far quicker and are more cost-effective for smaller shipments.
Q) How can I work out the size / weight of my shipment?
A) In freight terms shipments are either charged as per the actual weight of a shipment or the volume and will always be the greater of the two. This is all due to the space took on the mode of transport that you are using. This is a lot like the ton of lead and a ton of feathers scenario, the feathers taking up so much more space. The term W/M (weight / Measure) or volumetric weight is often used to refer to this. W/M will usually be used in reference to sea shipments and will generally mean either 1 cubic meter (CBM) or 1000 kilograms. When it comes to air freight and road there is a very simple formula for working out the volume of a shipment. The formula is the dimensions of the packing (in centimeters) multiplied together and then divided by 6000, for example, a 1-meter square box would be 100 x 100 x 100 divide by 6000 totaling a volumetric weight of 166kgs per CBM. This will give you an approximate weight for the package size.
Q) Can I find out where my shipment is?
A) All modes of shipping have tracking and enable you to find out where the shipment is. All you need to track a shipment is a tracking number (couriers), B/L number (sea shipments), or an AWB number (air shipments). You just have to visit the appropriate couriers’ website and enter your tracking number. In the case of air shipments, you can visit SAL for the majority of airlines or the airline’s own website. Just enter your AWB number to find out where the goods are. Sea shipments have limited tracking, namely collection, shipping, and arrival but you are able to do this through the cargo line’s websites in most cases. Remember that if you are having SRCO on your side then SRCO will be doing this for you. However, some people do enjoy seeing what’s happening to their belongings.
Q) What documents do you need for a shipment?
A) Generally when importing/exporting, few documents are required but please refer to the relevant customs authority or agent to confirm this. Each Country is different and you will be able to see the correct forms in the download section of this website or from the relevant Countries Customs department.
Q) Where do I get the documents?
A) Where possible SRCO will try to help with the documents in advance of your shipment, this way you will have everything for importing and exporting. If you are importing then you can have almost all the documents from your supplier & other documents the consignee has to prepare for the relevant customs department.
Q) How do I deal with customs and clearance?
A) Dealing with customs & clearance is such a big deal for the consignee, however, using SRCO will remove the need for you to go through all the time and effort spent trying to deal with various Airlines/Seaport departments and customs. SRCO has branches in all the major areas and this list is always growing. By doing this SRCO can often provide a door-to-door service and advise all foreseeable costs in advance.
Q) What will SRCO do for me?
A) There are various services subject to your requirement.
Services that SRCO is offering:
- Customs Clearance
- Freight
- Warehousing
- Transportation
Q) What about other Insurance issues I should consider?
A) Make sure you read the small print and where possible get insurance from someone who has a good knowledge of the area you are traveling to or from. You must check to make sure that your goods are not going through any excluded areas for example Iran or Iraq as this may null and void your policy. You should also consider the policies that are recognized in a country or region for example Sharia Insurance would be recognized in Saudi Arabia but has very limited coverage.
Glossary of Terms
MAWB – Master Airway Bill (Airfreight)
AWB – Airway Bill (Air Freight)
B/L – Bill of Lading (Sea Freight)
HHG – House Hold Goods or Personal Effects
Customs – Government department ensuring goods arriving and departing from the country are legally allowed and that duty is paid/refunded where necessary
MODE – Mode of transport refers to the type of transport that you are using like Air, Sea, Road or Rail.
Multi-Mode – Refers to shipments traveling by two or more modes of transport
CBM – Cubic Meter
W/M – weight / Measure pricing would appear as W/M GBP74.25 this would mean your price is 74.25 per 1000kgs or 1CBM whichever is greater
Volume – The volume weight is a rate applied to the size of a package
Volumetric weight – Same as Volume
