If you are a professional logistician, you must observe container transportation steps, which can be called container milestones, for running an efficient business. In this article, we will indicate the primary steps in the intermodal container shipping chain from the point of manufacture to the final delivery.
Journey of a Shipping Container
We explained 10 steps of a container’s journey, each milestone is a different step on a container transportation.
1. Container Empty Pick-Up
This journey starts when your container is collected in a empty form from the shipping line terminal. This is where the lifecycle for this particular shipment of your container begins. The container is examined to prove whether the container is of high quality and whether it is fit to be loaded.
2. Container Loading (LOAD)
When the empty container gets to the shipper’s premises, cargo loading follows suit. Packing is the step represented by the letter L in the tracking approaches; it marks the loading of your consignment into the container. Accurate loading enables the shipment of goods and equipment safely together with adherence to weight control.
3. Gate-In
When empty or full, the container moves to the port terminal it occupies; this is known as the “Gate-In” phase. The container goes through all the processes that relate to customs and security inspections. This stage often includes:
- Document verification
- Container seal check
- Weight verification
- Security scanning
4. Loaded on Vessel (Departed)
A major development is achieving ‘Departed’ status when the container is loaded into the vessel. This indicates that:
- The container is safely on the container ship
- The vehicle is prepare for the onward journey
- It is about to set sail the ocean is clearly indicated here.
5. On Sail (In Transit)
In the “On Sail” phase your container is physically traveling through the world’s seas or oceans. The most shipping lines provide regular position updates, allowing you to track:
- Current vessel location
- Estimated route
- Updated arrival times
- Any route changes
6. Vessel Arrival
The “arrival” sign signifies that your ship has arrived at the destination port (POD). But this does not mean the other party will be able to get to their shipment immmediately. Several processes follow:
- Vessel berthing
- Port authority clearance
- Preparation for unloading
7. Container Discharge
After the vessel has anchored, or moored, containers are discharged. When you see “Discharge” this implies that your container is no longer on the vessel but on the terminal compound in the yard. This stage involves:
- Physical container removal
- Terminal placement
- Initial customs processing
8. Available for Pickup
Unless the shipped items are prohibited or restricted items that need to undergo further processing, your container becomes ‘Available for Pickup.’ This crucial milestone indicates that:
- All paperwork is complete
- The customs has released the container
9. Gate-Out
The last port milestone that are often compared to each other is the “Gate-Out” – when your container is actually shipped out of the terminal. This marks:
- End of terminal storage
- The beginning of inland carriage
- Transfer of liability of the container
10. Container Empty Return
The last milestone is container empty return, when the empty container is back to is shipping line depot to be used again.
Conditions Affecting the Milestones of a Container
Milestones have standard processing times, but various factors can affect them:
- Port congestion
- Weather conditions
- Customs delays
- Documentation issues
- Equipment availability
Best Practices for Monitoring Container Milestones
By checking the status daily, estimated time can be checked, and status changes should also be noted. File management through being ready with papers, always preparing for documentation and fully explaining the documentation processes. Decision control by integrating measures such as time early assessment of delay risks, planning and retaining contingency time.
Key Takeaways
During all those milestones, each of them implies a specific moment in your container’s journey. Knowledge of these stages assists in ideal planning. Monitoring the operations is essential to keep things as fluid as possible. Technology has been proven to be very useful in the tracking process and stakeholder involvement. In other words, everyone must realize that optimal container shipping is associated with the efficient tracking of these indicators.
At this point, you can try Shipsgo because Shipsgo is a container tracking platform that provides shipping data. The system provides container locations and status updates from multiple carriers. Users can monitor container status, receive notifications, and access shipping information through a dashboard.
