Industry Insights

The eCTB & eSTB Process & How it will work While the large majority of brokers are not utilizing ACE today or they are only using it for a small percentage of their entries, eBond will affect all brokers when it comes to Continuous Bonds on January 3, 2015. The process will be simpler; new Continuous bonds can be filed electronically by the surety and will be on file almost immediately. This will eliminate the waiting period for CBP’s processing time. Since importer names and addresses will not be transmitted on the new eCTB, address and name change riders will […]

IMO Mandates Weighing Loaded Containers Before Boarding The International Maritime Organization says loaded containers will have to be weighed before being boarded onto ships for sea transport. The determination was made by the IMO Maritime Safety Committee at its November 17-21, 2014, meeting in London and becomes effective June 1, 2016. The verified weight of containers can be determined either by weighing the loaded container at an approved weigh station or by compiling the weights of individual items and adding their total combined weight to the net weight of the empty container. Dunnage would also have to be weighed. Incorrect […]

Turn Vague Risk Concepts into Actionable Plans Often we hear of risk management plans, but that broad concept can produce vague, theoretical documents that are filed away and overtaken by operational events. Instead of wasting time and money on an unused document, why not create a clear, actionable plan? The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency’s recent Five-Step Risk Assessment highlights the three main components that of a quality loss-reduction effort. Risk Assessment Threat Assessment Vulnerabilities Assessment By strengthening these three legs of your loss-control program, all companies in the shipping business can design and implement measures to reduce losses […]

We wanted to share these following recommendations for preventing cargo theft with you prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, courtesy of FreightWatch International: Event: Thanksgiving Holiday Awareness Date: November 21, 2014 Location: North America Description: Year after year, the holiday shipping season shows an increase in cargo theft risks for transportation companies, shippers and manufacturers.  Since 2010, the transportation industry has experienced almost four thefts per day during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, an increase of 36% over the annual average of 2.6 thefts per day throughout those years.  During this elevated threat period, Electronics and Clothing / Shoes rise on thieves’ wish lists, and Home / Garden products displace Food / Drinks as […]