Logistic services

How to prepare your cargo for international transport?

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If you carry out export or import activities in Paraguay, surely your main concern will be that your cargo arrives at its destination on time and in the best conditions.

All transport operations must be planned and executed in a way that guarantees the good state of the merchandise, especially if long distances must be traveled.

However, preparing the cargo before transportation to or from Paraguay is also a task that must be taken care of very carefully.

International logistics companies must choose the transport services that they will offer you, but you also have the responsibility to prepare your cargo to make the most of it.

An issue that must never be neglected is the reference to the regulations and procedures that charges must meet as they pass through different countries on their way to or from Paraguay.

But the preparation of the cargo, its packaging and other previous aspects are also very important to avoid inconveniences.

In the country, the vast majority of logistics companies and those who import and export products are characterized by being very careful with this issue.

But it is never too much that we give you some tips to prepare your cargo properly when importing or exporting in Paraguay.

Prepare and properly label your merchandise

The use of labels and brands on packaging is mandatory in the world of international freight transport.

These labels are designed on the basis of trade and customs agreements signed between numerous countries.

The labels describe many features of the product contained in the packaging.

These data include who sends and who receives the cargo, what type of product goes inside, its expiration or level of biological or chemical risk.

The labeling also describes the place of manufacture and final destination of the products.

If you carry out an import or export activity, you must ensure that your cargo complies with international labeling standards.

This is not only valid for Paraguay and Mercosur countries, but also for countries such as the European Union and Asia, or wherever cargo is going to transit.

In addition, as an exporter it is important that you keep a good control of the number of boxes that you will ship outside of Paraguay, as well as the quantity of products in each one.

The numbering of the boxes or packages will help you and the logistics company that you hire to closely monitor the shipment and quickly detect any missing.

Prepare the logistics according to the type of cargo you are going to mobilize

Each type of merchandise requires a different type of container and special handling when loading and unloading.

You must pay attention to fragile products, perishable foods and chemical or industrial substances, as they require different forms of handling and storage.

The most important element in international cargo is the container, which can be of the following types:

Dry Van containers
Reefer or refrigerated containers
Open Top containers
Open Side containers
Flat Rack Containers
Tank containers or cisterns
Flexi-Tank containers

The Dry Van container is the most used in international logistics. It is commonly known as a standard container, 20 to 40 feet in length.

It is a large metal drawer that closes tightly and has no ventilation. It is ideal for transporting dry cargo on pallets, boxes or bags.

Perishable or animal products must be transported in reefer containers or refrigerated.

These have cooling or heat systems that allow their content to be maintained at a controlled temperature in ranges from -18º C to 30º C.

Loads that protrude in height or width on a common Dry Van container should be carried in Open Top containers, whose upper side is a removable canvas roof.

They are useful for carrying loads such as granite or marble sheets, heavy machinery, buses, payloaders and loaders, among other large elements.

For its part, the transport of liquids, dangerous or non-hazardous, can be carried out in tank containers or Tank containers.

A similar but less expensive variety is the Flexi-Tank, which consists of a Dry Van container inside which an inflatable bag made of very resistant polyethylene is installed.

This bag can have a capacity between 12,000 to 26,000 liters and is usually used only once.

It is useful for carrying dangerous liquids such as toxic or corrosive chemicals, combustible liquids, paraffin, oils and others.

Prepare the load and make the most of the space

One of the mistakes that can be made when carrying out international cargo transportation is to miscalculate the volume and weight of the cargo to be imported or exported.

Because of this, it may happen that your cargo does not completely fill the contracted containers, so you will end up paying freight for an unused space.

Knowing the volume of your cargo well will let you know how many containers, trucks or transport vehicles you need to move it.

In addition, you can decide whether it is convenient to hire sea and land transport in the Full Container Load (FLC) or Less Container Load (LCL) mode.

FCL transport consists of using an exclusive container to export or import loads belonging to a single customer.

For its part, the LCL freight service consists of importing or exporting merchandise from several customers in the same container or truck, reducing costs.

In addition to labeling and packaging, it is very important that you prepare your cargo for easy placement in containers or vehicles, using pallets.

In the palletizing boxes or packages are placed in the wooden base or pallet, according to their size and weight.

This allows to maximize the available space in the containers or means of transport when they are loaded.

You can also distribute the pallets according to the destination of the product, if you are exporting to more than one place.

The load on each pallet must be well placed and firm, to avoid movements that damage the goods during transport.

Once the container is filled with the pallets, you can fill the empty spaces with loose or smaller packages.

The idea is to make the most of the space in the contracted means of transport.

Conclusion

The success of import and export in Paraguay depends largely on knowing how to prepare, store and transport the cargo.

For this reason, it is vital to have support from companies specialized in logistics, which facilitate and avoid problems when carrying merchandise from one destination to another, inside or outside Paraguay.

One of these companies is Alfa Trading S.A, founded in 1994 and which has become a national reference in international logistics services.

In these 28 years, we have offered a unique service in Paraguay to those who need to move loads nationally or internationally.

Today we are one of the Paraguayan companies with more experience in the area of ​​international logistics and we can help you prepare your cargo for shipping anywhere in the world.

We have Freight Agents in the main ports and airports of the world and we can help you in the tracking and customs procedures of your merchandise.

But the most important thing is that we also offer technical assistance and can help you successfully prepare each stage of your import and export process.

NUESTROS AGENTES DE CARGAS SE ENCARGARÁN DE BRINDARTE EL MEJOR SERVICIO

NUESTROS AGENTES DE CARGAS SE ENCARGARÁN DE BRINDARTE EL MEJOR SERVICIO