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International Logistics Options

A practical guide to the decisions behind every international shipment, from choosing a mode and carrier to controlling cost and protecting your cargo.

Delivered as a 2-session webinar ($95): two 45-minute one-on-one tutoring sessions, preceded by a syllabus, reading, homework, and test questions — examining international logistics options from the forwarder's perspective.

Questions Every Shipper Should Ask

International logistics is full of decisions that quietly determine your final cost and transit time. These are the questions we help clients answer before cargo ever moves.

  • When is there enough cargo to book a full container versus shipping LCL?
  • Moving something large — ro/ro, breakbulk, open top, or flat rack?
  • Using the new Panama Canal or routing via the west coast?
  • You have temperature-controlled cargo — what should it cost to ship?
  • What is SOLAS and how can it hold up my shipment?
  • Cargo arrives corroded — what can be done to prevent this?
  • How should my cargo be rated to get the best possible tariff?
  • Driving down the cost of inland shipping — LTL, oversized, container drayage.
  • What information does my forwarder need to book cargo properly?
  • Shopping around for rates — should I involve multiple forwarders?
  • Value-added services — will you use them?
  • Why you need insurance to offset carrier liability.
  • Should you ship air or ocean — what to consider?
  • Are you getting eaten up with packing costs?
  • Tips for negotiating a strong service contract.
  • When should I ship intermodal or a la carte (by shipping leg)?
  • What is the economic advantage of an NVOCC / consolidator, and when should they be used?
  • Which vendor and sub-contractor costs should you consider paying direct?

Nuts & Bolts Explained

The fundamentals that underpin every international move, covered in plain language.

Carriers & Costing

Carrier selection and suitability, plus calculating shipping costs across air, ocean, and inland legs.

Vessels & Routes

Vessel types, routings, schedules, and base ports, with container equipment specifications and use.

Cargo Classification

HAZMAT definitions and Weight or Measure — how LCL costs are calculated.

Ocean Movements

Types of ocean movements and terminal concepts such as free time, per diem, and demurrage.

Packing & Documents

Packing concepts — honeycomb, crate, and skeleton crate — plus the key fields of the Bill of Lading and Air Waybill.

Ports & Liability

Port facilities to consider and COGSA, the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act.

The Baltimore Street Turn Program

H.C. Bennett is an advocate for the Baltimore Street Turn Program — a container-efficiency initiative that reuses import containers for nearby export loads instead of returning them empty, cutting cost, congestion, and emissions. We actively promote this program to shippers moving cargo through the Port of Baltimore.

► Watch: Baltimore Street Turn Program

Ready to discuss your routed transaction?

Talk with H.C. Bennett about how this applies to your import or export operation.