- Workplace Type: On-site
Shipping by Ocean
From sea to shining sea
Perhaps nothing brought more change to the freight landscape than the invention of the shipping container. Inventor Malcolm McLean made his first voyage with 58 shipping containers in 1956, and the results were remarkable. Thanks to McLean and the shipping container, costs of shipping by ocean dropped as much as 90%!
As McLean’s invention began impacting the freight industry, Cole International saw an opportunity to help our customers get in on this new technology. Our ocean freight services began rolling out full steam ahead as early as the mid-1960s.
Observing the intricacies our customers experienced with both shipping and clearing ocean freight, we saw the opportunity to connect our freight and customs brokerage departments. In doing so, we could offer streamlined services—all under one roof.
Relationships are at the heart of what we do, and although our departments are distinct, we always work as a team. This means clear, transparent communication between departments is among our superpowers.
With an extensive network of carriers and agents across the seas, we provide reliable, cost-effective international freight solutions for your shipments.
Your shipping needs,
all under one roof
Moving your goods involves coordination and collaboration between multiple parties in order to achieve success. Our ability to handle your transportation plus customs clearance and compliance means you don’t have to manage communication between multiple service providers. Details won’t fall through the cracks, delays will be avoided and your goods will stay moving, seamlessly.
Partnering with Cole International means being part of a team working towards your company’s goals.
The more you educate yourself on your role and responsibilities as an importer, the more you help us help you get your goods where they need to go.
Getting organized
For any shipment—ground, air, ocean—being prepared is essential. Having the following information means you and our teams can hit the ground running (pun intended) on your shipment:
- What are you trying to achieve with this shipment? What’s the bigger picture?
- Timelines and expectations
- Shipment particulars (length, width, height and weight of package)
- Detailed commodity descriptions. These are often overlooked! There’s no such thing as too much information.
- Specified pick-up origin/destination
- Preferred mode (or modes) of transportation (if known)
- Special requirements and considerations
- Insurance considerations
- Incoterms selected or considered
Your success is our success
Working with Cole International for your transportation simplifies your shipping operations and avoids complexity, by nature of our collaborative and coordinated approach.
We ensure the lines of communication stay open and transparent throughout the entire process. Within this, we keep an eye on the shipment details and ensure you have the right partners each step of the way.
Start the process right
Here are a few key things you can do to ensure your transportation process runs smoothly:
- Give a heads-up to your provider as early as possible when planning a shipment
- Prepare a list of all contacts involved in the shipment (including contact information)
- Provide the exact shipment information (shipping length, width, height, weight, total number of pieces, commodity information, etc.)
- Determine your budget. Price can and will play a part in your decision-making process, as it will help determine the modes recommended.
- Pack your goods properly
- Communicate clearly and often with your shipper/consignee/end user and forwarder
- Maintain well-kept, organized documents for the shipment
- Refrain from adding extra items to packages for international moves (e.g. batteries, etc.)
- Always allow enough time in your plan for unforeseen delays
Freight forwarding you can rely on
Moving goods is already a complex and detail-filled task. Moving goods using multiple service providers only adds to the chaos. By partnering with Cole International, your goods are moved and customs cleared seamlessly with the help of two clear points of contact – freight and customs – working together under the same roof.
Partnering with Cole helps you:
- Stay in the loop - Our detail-minded team communicates the proper information and adheres to your timelines to keep you on time and budget.
- Save your company money - Our ability to clearly identify your shipping requirements, present service options and set realistic pricing expectations (cheapest isn’t always best!) saves you money in the long run.
- Move your goods on time - We communicate timeline expectations, working with carriers to ensure critical milestones are met.
- Clearly identify requirements - Avoid confusion and gain clarity by leveraging the accumulated knowledge and experience that comes from our long history of moving goods.
- Avoid delays at Customs - Working together with our customs brokers under one roof means having transparency at the border and necessary paperwork in place to keep your shipments moving.
