Who physically controls the cargo?
Carrier, freight forwarder, booking agent, consolidator, customs broker, drayage provider, and the party contractually responsible for each appointment.
Shipment routing control sheet.
“Delivery in December” is not a logistics plan. Separate production, booking, departure, arrival, customs, and final delivery so responsibility cannot disappear between milestones.
The milestone record.
For each line, record the contractual date, responsible party, required evidence, actual date, variance, and approved corrective action.
| Milestone | Minimum evidence | Control question |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Approved shop drawings | Written owner/design approval and controlled drawing revision. | Is fabrication prohibited until this approval is recorded? |
| 2. Fabrication completion | Dated production report, packing list draft, photographs, and exception list. | Does “complete” exclude unresolved defects and missing components? |
| 3. Factory inspection | Inspection report, test results, punch list, correction evidence, release authorization. | Who may authorize shipment after inspection? |
| 4. Confirmed vessel booking | Carrier, vessel, voyage, port of loading, port of discharge, cutoff, and booking confirmation. | Does the booking match the contracted route and arrival window? |
| 5. Cargo departure | On-board bill of lading or equivalent carrier evidence and departure confirmation. | Has the cargo actually departed—not merely reached a warehouse or port? |
| 6. Port arrival | Carrier arrival notice, terminal status, discharge confirmation, and exception notice. | Was the cargo discharged at the expressly approved port? |
| 7. Customs clearance | Entry documentation, duty/tax record, release status, broker confirmation. | Who owns missing information, inspection holds, storage, and demurrage exposure? |
| 8. Final-site delivery | Appointment, drayage record, delivery receipt, condition report, shortage/damage record. | Who provides unloading, equipment, access, storage, and final acceptance? |
Routing information to approve before release.
Where may the cargo travel?
Port of loading, transshipment points, final port of discharge, prohibited diversions, inland route, and written approval required for any change.
Who pays when control fails?
Storage, demurrage, detention, examination, rehandling, rerouting, redelivery, damage, and supplier- or agent-controlled booking errors.
Draft bill-of-lading check.
Before cargo release, verify the shipper, consignee, notify party, commodity description, package count, gross weight, container number, seal number, port of loading, port of discharge, freight terms, and document-release method. Preserve the approved draft and compare it with the issued document.
Control the route before cargo moves.
Once a preventable routing error occurs, every corrective choice becomes slower and more expensive.