- What Are Shipping Cube And Why They Are Used - A Quick Review
- How Shipping Cube Transportation Works - A Step By Step Guide
- The Three Main Stakeholders Of Shipping Cube Transportation
- Step: 01 It All Started With From The Warehouses
- Step: 02 The Documentation To Avoid Legal Troubles
- Step: 03 Traveling Of Cubes Through The Oceans
- Step: 04 The Journey Of Products Reaching Their Destination
- Step: 05 Marking The End Of Maritime Shipping
- Benefits Of Choosing Shipping Cubes For Maritime Transportation
- The Standardized Product And Quality
- Transportation Costs Are Low
- Used For a Wide Variety Of Products
- Highly Safe And Secure Transport
- Protection Of The Goods
- Factors Affecting Sea Transport Through Shipping Cubes
- Conclusion
Thousands of cargo cubes arrive at ports every day, containing a variety of goods and equipment.
In 2020, more than 18.5 million tons of goods will be sent globally, according to research. Some may have footballs from Brazil, while others may have tea from Sri Lanka.
The nighttime arrival may have coats from Mexico, while the morning arrival may have computers from China.
But how is the whole transporting process optimized, and how are these millions of goods transported through shipping every day?
But let's answer these first;
- Do you have a large order that has to be transported overseas, and are you considering using a shipping cube?
- Is this your first time delivering a large number of products, and you are entirely unaware of how this shipment is taking place?
- Or you could be starting a shipping business and want to understand how everything works.
If your answer is yes, your search is over. Give this article your full attention to the finish and understand how shipping cube transportation works, its basic concept, and the factors influencing the process.
Keep reading to know more!
What Are Shipping Cube And Why They Are Used - A Quick Review
We all have seen giant steel containers, whether on railways, trucks, or ships. Those big containers transport all kinds of goods, either small or big, heavy or light. They are one of the significant elements of overseas shipments and export companies.
Whether you want to deliver jackets from Mexico, laptops from China, tea from Sri Lanka, or sports equipment from Brazil, these shipping cubes will solve your problem right away!
So, the shipping cube, referred to as Sea Can sometimes, is a vast, reusable steel container used to ship any goods, commodities, and equipment safely and legally.
There are varieties of cubes available, depending on the sizes, dimensions, and nature of the products delivered.
For example, if you want to transport any temperature-sensitive product to another country, the shipping company will use the temperature-controlled cube for your products.
How Shipping Cube Transportation Works - A Step By Step Guide
The maritime shipment has been in practice for more than half a decade. It has undoubtedly brought revolutionary changes, not only in the industry of marine equipment but also in transportation.
The value of cargo ships, marine equipment, and associated professions has increased dramatically and exceptionally.
Almost 80% of the world's import and export takes place by cube shipping, and millions of products are manufactured every day all around the globe to be delivered to other countries through this transporting means.
Even leading international companies like Alibaba give an option of sea freight to their users due to its less costly charges and reliability.
So, let's look at the step-by-step guide on how goods are transported through a shipping cube.
The Three Main Stakeholders Of Shipping Cube Transportation
Let's imagine for a second that you are the owner of multinational apparel brands. Your outlets, located in Mexico, are running out of winter jacket stocks that are trending and in demand. What will you do? Order more? But your manufacturing industries are located in Sri Lanka.
So, let's take this scenario forward and learn how this maritime shipment with containers and cubes works.
Coming back to the topic, there are three main stakeholders of this shipping cube transportation:
- Importers: Who wants to receive the goods from the exporters in another country.
- Shipping Company: The Company owns cubes, containers, and ships and facilitates the shipment.
- Exporters: The ones who deliver the products to the importers from another country.
Step: 01: It All Started With From The Warehouses
So, as the brand is running out of jackets in Mexico and its warehouses and manufacturing industries in Sri Lanka, it has to get its products from Sri Lanka to its warehouse in Mexico to get them in their outlets.
After ordering and preparing the jackets, the trucks of the shipping company, along with the cubes and containers, depending on the amount, size, weight, and nature of the product, will come to the warehouses in Sri Lanka to collect the bulk products.
Then, the cargo experts of the shipping company will carefully load the jackets into the cubes while ensuring safety and security with heavy seals and bolted shuts. Now, this loaded container will only open its importers will receive it in the warehouses of Mexico.
Step: 02: The Documentation To Avoid Legal Troubles
The shipping company must have got all the paperwork and documentation done to the government of the exporters' country and the importer's government.
This documentation is meant to secure the cargo cubes from getting into any foul trouble while entering the country's boundaries, arriving at the ports, and delivering the containers to the warehouses.
This paperwork includes the details about the importers' company, exporters' company, product type, amount and other information, shipping company details, and other documents.
This step ensures the safety of cargo cubes and containers from theft and other inconveniences and is a specific indication for the ports' customs officers.
Step: 03: Traveling Of Cubes Through The Oceans
After the documentation and clearance from the port and government, the shipping cube is stacked on another one until the cargo ship arrives. After the arrival of a designated ship, the containers are loaded on the boat.
And then the real journey begins. The cargo cube of jackets is packed and ready to be shipped to an entirely different continent. Generally speaking, a shipping cube travels more than a person's life. What luck!
Before the arrival of a ship to the other country, its members provide the information and documentation of vessels, exporters, importers, containers, and product details to the arriving country so they won't face any legal troubles in the new government.
Step: 04: The Journey Of Products Reaching Their Destination
With the help of large cranes and heavy machines, the shipping cube is unloaded from the cargo ship at the port.
This includes the assistance of hundreds of expert workforce, including crane experts, cargo experts, custom clearance officers, engineers, and ship crew.
Afterward, unloading the containers and cubes from the ships will be used for further documentation and formalities to the customs officers.
After clearing from them, the shipping cube will be headed towards the heavy trucks so the jackets can reach the distribution centers of the country.
If the distribution centers are far from the port, the shipping cube is loaded to the truck first, and then the trains will safely reach their distribution at low costs.
Step: 05: Marking The End Of Maritime Shipping
Now, when the shipping cube reaches the distribution center, it will open, and the jackets and other products will be separated based on the documents.
They will be prepared for their shipment to their respective delivery addresses.
After a few days, the apparel brand in Mexico will receive its orders for trendy, demanding, and iconic jackets and put them on display in their outlets.
So, this is how some customers order a jacket in Mexico, and it travels from Sri Lanka's industries to Mexico's outlets. And this is precisely how other goods are transported through maritime transportation.
Benefits Of Choosing Shipping Cubes For Maritime Transportation
The import and export business is the most significant contributor to the world's economy.
And this maritime shipment mode requires various tools, technologies, workforce, and strategies, like cranes, trucks, centers, ships, documents, cargo containers, and shipping cubes.
The advantages of using a shipping cube in maritime shipment are limitless. It is one of the primary reasons for the growing concern of companies towards seaways freight.
Still, let's look at some of the advantages of having a shipping cube in your maritime transport.
1) The Standardized Product And Quality
A shipping cube or container is an ISO-certified product that builds and works on its standards.
Whether loaded on cargo ships, delivered through trucks, or air transport, shipping cubes and containers have unique registration and identity numbers.
So the workforce, anywhere in the world, will build and handle the shipping cube, right according to the regulations and standards of ISO.
2) Transportation Costs Are Low
The transportation costs of goods through shipping cubes and containers are relatively less expensive than air freight or rail freight.
However, if you choose conventional means of transport to deliver the same bulk products, the delivery cost can be increased to half of the total cost.
Moreover, the regulation of ISO standardization is a significant reason behind its low costs.
3) Used For a Wide Variety Of Products
A shipping cube is a perfect transporting solution for almost every category of products. A variety of shipping cubes are available depending on the size, amount of products, and nature of the delivery of goods.
For example, if you import medicines to other countries, you might need temperature control while transporting them. So, in this case, a temperature-controlled cube will work fine—a similar case for ice creams, meat, and fresh fruits.
Similarly, you might need specialized cubes and containers to transport liquids.
4) Highly Safe And Secure Transport
Transport through maritime shipping is highly safe and secure as the shipping cube is only opened at the exporters' warehouses and the distribution centers of the importers' country.
However, customs clearance officers sometimes check the containers and shipping cubes to ensure the products' safety to avoid smuggling the goods.
5) Protection Of The Goods:
Apart from the specialized shipping cubes and containers for technical and sensitive products, a shipping cube can protect the products inside it all the time during transport.
Because of the strong steel structure and bolted locking system, a shipping cube is itself protection of the products. So, a shipping cube can save your cost for additional covering, locking, and other security practices.
Even when cargo staking, loading, and unloading, shipping cubes' design, material, and dimensions are meant to secure the products inside them.
Factors Affecting Sea Transport Through Shipping Cubes:
The advantages of maritime transportation and shipping cubes and containers are limitless. From less expensive procedures to specialized containers, the shipment industry has taken every possible step to make the process secure, quick, and straightforward.
But, some of the factors can either delay your deliveries or result in the loss of your products. Let's have a look at some of them:
- Seasons And Weathers: Yes, the climate and weather can significantly affect your shipment time. Ships are most likely not to travel if there is a prediction of storms, heavy rain, or cyclones in the pickup or drop-off countries. Not only this, but rough weather can also damage the shipping cube and the products inside it.
- The Distance Between The Two Countries: If the distance between the importer and exporter country is less, the transporting time would be a few days. But if the two countries are far from each other, the deliveries can be delayed for many reasons.
- Currency Of The Countries: The pricing factors of the shipment depending upon the currency value of both countries. If the importer's money is more valuable than the exporters', the charges will be higher than in other countries.
Conclusion
So, a shipping cube is one of the most revolutionary products of maritime transport. A shipping cube is an ultimate solution to all your shipping problems, from specialized containers to tight, secure locking systems, from handling the bulk of products to the ISO-standardized quality.
Either getting transported through trucks, ships, or rails, with the help of cranes, shipping cubes are easy to load and unload and can travel hundreds of miles to deliver your products to your doorsteps.
Frequently Asked Questions
The shipping cubes are transported through cargo ships, airways, trucks, rails, or other means. However, the most common transport of shipping cubes is through cargo ships and heavy trucks.
A shipping cube is designed to handle almost every kind of product safely through transport. Whether you have temperature-sensitive products like medicines, ice creams, fruits or vegetables, or fragile items, shipping can efficiently deliver your products to the destination.