Transportation of goods is usually rather a complicated and multi-stage process, in which many important issues must be taken into account. It involves not only the proper securing of the cargo and arranging the appropriate means of transportation, but also ensuring a lot of paperwork and matters related to customs fees and necessary documentation. Check out the different stages of the transportation process and what you should know about it.
What is the transportation process?
A transport process can be called a sequence of events that begins with the receipt of a specific cargo from the shipper and ends with the delivery to the consignee. Within the framework of the transport process, one can also specify a series of activities related to the transportation of a particular cargo and the performance of the relevant activities and procedures adequate to the applicable rules, standards and regulations.
The cargo transportation process is carried out by certain entities through appropriate means of transportation. Carriage of goods is carried out in appropriately adjusted containers, tanks or other forms of protection, thanks to which the goods reach the recipient intact.
The transportation process and its specifics
As part of the entire transportation process, activities are performed that can be divided into three basic groups. These activities are:
- organizational – their scope includes detailed planning of the entire transport and preparation of the necessary documentation,
- commercial – concerning the settlement for the transport service performed and the payment of fees for the various stages of transportation or necessary to be paid in connection with customs duties,
- executive – these are all activities related to moving the cargo, securing or placing in the means of transport or container.
Stages of the transportation process
The freight transportation process can be divided into the following stages:
- planning – preparation of the optimal concept of the entire route and method of transporting the cargo. This includes the selection of the route, carrier or date of transportation execution,
- preparation of goods – proper packaging and securing of products for transport, careful checking of the conformity of the cargo with the order,
- preparation of cargo for transport – proper loading of prepared goods, in accordance with safety rules and proper placement in containers,
- transportation of cargo – transportation to a specific point of destination. It can include transportation by a single means of transport, but also a route in which the goods will be transshipped, for example, from a ship to a freight train. This stage ends when the cargo is delivered to the consignee and also includes unloading, as well as any customs issues in the destination country,
- legal and financial aspects – this is to check all contracts and accounting issues necessary for settlement with the provider of the transportation service,
- costs and analysis of the completed transport – the final stage of the transport process is an evaluation as to the costs incurred in transporting a given commodity in relation to the profits from the sale of a given cargo, as well as an assessment of the quality and satisfaction of the transport service performed and the transmission of any comments to the contractor.