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SL Europe Agency is an innovative international freight forwarding company based in Milan, Italy, offering comprehensive shipping solutions. The young and dynamic management team contributes significantly with its innovative mindset, adopting new technologies and applying the latest and most modern industry methods to meet customer needs.
Freight transport is a service used by companies both at a national level for local transport and at an international level where companies import and export. While the freight forwarder does not actually move the cargo itself, they act as an intermediary between the client and various transportation services. Sending products from one international destination to another can involve a multitude of carriers, requirements, and legal aspects.
Freight forwarding services ensure that products arrive at the appropriate destination by an agreed date and in good condition. The freight forwarding service utilizes established relationships with carriers of all types, from shipping lines and cargo airlines to trucking companies and railways for freight transport. The forwarder’s task is to negotiate the best possible price to move the product along the most economical route by processing various offers and choosing the one with the best transit time, cost, and reliability.
One of the many advantages of using a freight forwarder is the management of ancillary services that are part of the international maritime sector. Transport insurance and customs clearance are some examples. As a consolidator, a freight forwarding service may also provide NVOCC (Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier) documentation or bills of lading.
A good freight forwarding service can save the client incalculable time and potential headaches, while providing reliable transport and competitive prices in a timely manner. A freight forwarding service is an asset for almost any company involved in the international transport of goods, and is particularly useful when internal resources are not experts in the field.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) announced the Verified Gross Mass (VGM) requirements under amendments to Chapter VI of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), which became mandatory on July 1, 2016.
SOLAS is a treaty of the IMO (a specialized agency of the United Nations) and is generally considered the most important of all international maritime treaties concerning the safety of merchant shipping and the prevention of marine pollution.
As of July 1, 2016, shipping lines and port terminal representatives in approximately 170 countries are prohibited from loading freight containers onto a ship for export if the gross mass of the container has not been verified.
Shippers are responsible for the mandatory VGM verification for all packed freight containers before loading onto a ship. The shipper is responsible for accurately recording, signing, and authorizing VGM data on shipping documents and providing it to ocean carrier vessel operators and port terminal representatives for use in ship stowage plans. Weighing must be carried out after the stuffing and securing of the containerized cargo in one of the two approved ways as follows:
Method 1. Weighing the container after loading. The shipper weighs or has a third party weigh the container with regulatory instruments after sealing it and provides the shipping company with proof of such weighing.
Method 2. Cargo weighing/calculation. The shipper must provide the company with a formal declaration certifying the total weight of the shipment by weighing the goods (including packaging, pallets, and dunnage) and adding the tare weight of the equipment, using certified and calibrated equipment.
It is not permitted to estimate the weights of the container contents and add those weights to the tare weight of the container. Shippers may not use weights for any cargo in a container that someone else has provided, except for original sealed packages printed with the accurate mass of the cargo items, marked directly by the manufacturer on the original packaging.
Shipping lines have advised using the weight given on the container unless they have provided another method to verify the actual tare weight for each container. It is important to note that some empty container tare weights printed on the side of the container may be incorrect, as containers often need to be repaired or reinforced with metal.
We ship worldwide. There may be specific locations where we might require additional shipping information. This is a rare case, but if it happens, we will contact you immediately.
Yes, please send us a quote request with all the data at your disposal so that one of our consultants can advise you on the best solution for your shipment.
Ro-Ro or roll-on/roll-off ships are vessels designed to carry wheeled cargo. They are equipped with ramps and platforms to secure private cars, industrial vehicles, or even trucks loaded with goods for long-distance travel. There are also hybrid versions of these ships, which combine the transport of vehicles and passengers (ferries), and others that carry containerized vehicles (Ro-Lo).
Yes. We need your full delivery address and contact information at the destination to make arrangements for the delivery of the goods.
All formalities and requirements to be completed for goods entering and leaving a specific national territory in order to control and approve their transport. The customs declarant is responsible for completing these formalities on behalf of the importer or exporter and submitting an information declaration to the relevant customs authority in each case.
Dangerous goods are classified according to the ADR (European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road), as follows:
This is a practice whereby the loads of one or more shippers are grouped together for transport under a single transport document. It is also known as groupage when different loads are combined to fill a single container.
Yes. While it is not mandatory for the forwarder to provide cargo insurance services, it is good practice as the shipment could otherwise be at risk of theft, damage, or loss. Please contact SL EUROPE AGENCY for further information on cargo insurance.
A bill of lading (B/L or BOL) is an official shipping document containing details about the shipment. The release of this document to the receiver of the goods represents the transfer of ownership, so it is often held until final payment is completed. The original paper B/L or an electronic release (see Telex Release) is required for the delivery of the goods.
Full Container Load (FCL) is a container shipping option where a container is used exclusively for a single shipment and is not shared with other cargo shipments. The principal pays for the transport even if the container is not completely filled with goods.
Less than Container Load (LCL) is usually chosen when there are not enough goods to fill an entire container. Different cargo shipments share the same container as well as the container shipping costs.
The shipper is the person who sends the shipment; a consignee is the person who receives it.
