1. What is a Freight forwarder?

A freight forwarder is a company that arranges your importing and exporting of goods, it specializes in arranging storage and shipping of merchandise on behalf of its shippers. It usually provides a full range of services including: tracking inland transportation, preparation of shipping and export documents, warehousing, booking cargo space, negotiating freight charges, freight consolidation, cargo insurance, and filing of insurance claims.

2. What are the Incoterms® delivery terms?

The delivery terms define the rules for the delivery of goods from the seller to the recipient in the case of international trade. Incoterms® are used to specify transaction and transport costs as well as the responsibility between the seller and the buyer. Incoterms® also determines which side bears the risk related to the condition of the goods during transport and when the risk is passed from the seller to the buyer (this is important because the transfer of risk means de facto moment of sale, in which the seller ceases to be responsible for further stages of transport and the condition of the goods).

3. What is it and what data should the Bill of Lading contain?

A bill of lading (sometimes abbreviated as B/L or BoL) is a document issued by a carrier (or their agent) to acknowledge receipt of cargo for shipment. A bill of Lading must be transferable, and serves three main functions:

• it is a conclusive receipt, i.e. an acknowledgement that the goods have been loaded; and
• it contains or evidences the terms of the contract of carriage; and
• it serves as a document of title to the goods, subject to the nemo dat rule.

Bills of lading are one of three crucial documents used in international trade to ensure that exporters receive payment and importers receive the merchandise. The other two documents are a policy of insurance and an invoice. Whereas a bill of lading is negotiable, both a policy and an invoice are assignable.

4. What does the term LCL / FCL mean?

These are two types of cargo -. FCL or Full Container Load is a full-container, which means that the entire container is used by only one recipient. LCL or Less then Container Load determines the transport of consolidated shipments. In this case, only part of the container's cargo space is used, which means that goods owned by several entities can be transported in one container.

5. What are the dimensions of 20-feet and 40-feet containers?

• 20'DV container (length x width x height) - Internal dimensions - 5883mm x 2330 x 2355
• 40'DV container (length x width x height) - Internal dimensions - 12010mm x 2337 x 2371
• 40'HC container (length x width x height) - Internal dimensions - 12010mm x 2337x2700

6. What is cbm?

CBM is a cubic meter.

7. What is intermodal transport?

Carriage of goods using more than one type of transport. The most important rule is the use of only one loading unit, i.e. container or swap body, on the whole transport route, without the transhipment of the goods itself when changing the type of transport.

8. What does AEO mean and what benefits does it bring?

AEO (Authorized Economic Operator) is an institution defined in the Polish legal system as an authorized entrepreneur. An entrepreneur with registered office in the EU who, after fulfilling the conditions and criteria stipulated by law, has obtained one of the AEO permits, becomes a reliable entrepreneur and benefits from simplifications related to customs security and security controls as well as simplifications provided for under customs regulations.

AEO status - such a certificate guarantees entrepreneurs a lot of facilitation, first of all simplification of customs procedures and significant shortening of many formalities, fewer inspections, prioritization of possible inspections, or the possibility of submitting an abridged declaration of carriage.

9. What does the ‘door-to-door’ phrase mean?

Door-to-door (from door to door) - means full forwarding service, from the moment of receipt of the goods from the supplier, to the moment of its delivery to the recipient, including all necessary formalities.

10. What do ETD / ETA abbreviations mean?

ETD (Estimated Time of Departure) estimated time of departure from certain point and  ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) port scheduled ship's ready time to enter the port.

11. What is the abbreviation ADR?

ADR (the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road) - umowa dotyczącą międzynarodowego przewozu drogowego materiałów niebezpiecznych. Umowa ta reguluje zasady i warunki przewozu tego typu ładunków w celu zapewnienia im maksymalnego bezpieczeństwa. Umowa ADR stosowana jest również w przewozach krajowych.

12. Why insuring of goods in maritime transport is important?

Conclusion of the Cargo insurance agreement guarantees the reimbursement of costs at the time of damage, decrease or loss of cargo on the whole transport route.