Ocean freight, or sea freight, is the transportation of goods via container ships.

Less-Than-Container Load (LCL) is a shipment that takes up less space than required to fill a container by itself and is packed in with other shipments to fill the container. A Full Container Load (FCL) is when a container is dedicated solely to one shipment, and it typically fills (or nearly fills) the container. LCL shipments will often require a longer lead time as the consolidator will need time to sort and pack other LCL shipments in with it, ensuring that nothing in the container will react with the other classes of goods inside.

An Original Bill of Lading (OBL) requires physical documents to be provided at destination in order for a shipment to be released. A Sea Waybill (SWB) can be issued electronically and does not require a signature. Ultimately, both documents (1) are evidence of a contract of carriage and (2) a transport goods receipt; however, only an OBL also functions as a document of title affording ownership. OBLs are also often referred to as B/L or BoL.

Port of Loading (POL) is the port of origin from which the container is first loaded onto the vessel. Port of Discharge (POD) is the port at destination where the container is unloaded from the vessel and picked up by the consignee.

Roll-On/Roll-Off (RoRo) refers to ships that are designed to have vehicles loaded by driving on and off with their own wheels (or a platform vehicle). This method is quick and efficient, saving time (and potential damage) from not having to disassemble and reassemble vehicles or working equipment.

Break bulk is cargo that is too large or irregularly shaped to fit in standard shipping containers. They may be shipped in crates, barrels, boxes, bags, drums or as-is (e.g. windmill rotor blades).

A Non-Vessel Operating Contract Carrier (NVOCC) is an ocean carrier that transports shipments under their own House Bill of Lading but does not own or operate the ocean vessels. As a non-owner/operator, they tend to have more flexibility and options when it comes to lanes as they hold contracts with various ocean carriers across similar routings.

Shipping via ocean is typically cheaper than air transportation and has a significantly lower carbon footprint. Ocean shipping is also versatile, allowing for large quantities of containers to ship at the same time, on the same vessel while also being better able to accommodate oversized or irregularly shaped cargo.

Ocean freight is the slowest method of transportation and can often be subject to delays due to port congestion or unexpected vessel maintenance. Infrastructure continues to be an obstacle for some ports as vessel size outpaces berth, river or canal depths in some instances. Visibility can also be a struggle as vessels aren’t always able to stick to planned timetables, though this can be ameliorated with the right shipping partner and technology.

You must provide the proper VGM of any shipment via approved methodology prior to a container ingating for safety purposes. Not knowing the correct weight of a shipment can have significant safety impacts on the crews involved in any leg of a shipment. For example: if a container loaded onto a ship is significantly heavier than the weight provided on documentation, it could lead to uneven weight distribution across the ship and cause the ship to roll or containers to fall under another’s weight to disastrous effects.