As any veteran of the transportation industry can attest, we all love our jobs but, peak seasons can be tiring. These high-demand peaks are certainly welcome as they often drive a large part of the years profits but, they also come with a lot of headache, primarily delays in delivered goods. Those delays can quickly eat away at that welcomed profit, too.
Due to massive increases in freight during Christmas and other peak seasons, in addition to heightened security, getting goods through customs isn’t as easy as the general public may be aware. That’s why we’ve provided the following tip that may help you minimize delays in freight delivery.
- Generate complete and accurate papers. Make sure that the details in your invoice coincides the manifest. This single item is among the most common causes of shipment delays. Make a precise and detailed description of each item that is in the shipment to avoid raising any suspicion. Undeclared items might cause further delay in clearing your shipment from the customs, too.
- Prepare your Import Security Filing. It is better to be prepared ahead of time because paperwork during loading may take a while.
- Prepare and provide other necessary documents such as certificates of origin, NAFTA, dock receipts, warehouse receipts, Shipper’s Export Declarations (SED), export licenses, packing lists, or any other pertinent documents.
- Know your Tariffs. Often times, certain confirmation documents are needed to be obtained by customs before shipments arrive.
- Participate in the Transportation Security Administration’s “known shipper” program or consider other varying export/import certifications to simplify or streamline your credentials to expedite freight transportation technicalities.