Frequently Asked Questions About Freight and Customs
Plain answers to common questions on freight rates, quotes, shipping documents, customs, packaging and insurance in import and export.
Price and quotes
What determines the freight rate?
The rate depends on the transport mode, the weight and volume of the cargo, the route, the loading type and the shipping date. At sea it matters whether the container is full or shared; by air, whichever is higher of actual weight and volumetric weight sets the price. Port, terminal, customs and local service items come on top: they are not part of the freight and appear as separate lines in a quote. Carrier tariffs move with capacity and load, so the rate for the same route can change from week to week. A realistic figure is possible only once the dimensions and delivery terms are clear.
What information do I need to send to get a quote?
Tell us where the cargo goes from and to, its weight and dimensions, the number of packages, what it is and the delivery terms. Length, width and height per package with the gross weight is best; for palletised cargo, the number of pallets and the total height including the pallet help. The HS code, whether the goods are dangerous and the loading date you want also affect the price. Without these, only an indicative range is possible, not a binding quote.
How long is a quote valid?
A freight quote is short-lived; its validity date is written on it. Sea and air tariffs are updated periodically according to capacity and load, and month-end changes, tariff increases and peak seasons are when rates are revised most often. If the date has passed, or the dimensions, weight or delivery terms change, the quote has to be renewed. Once a booking is opened the rate is fixed for that shipment, and the confirmed terms stay valid even if the tariff changes afterwards.
Why do two quotes differ so much?
The difference usually comes from scope, not from price. One quote may cover only port-to-port freight, while another also includes pickup, export customs, terminal charges, unloading and delivery at the destination. The delivery term (Incoterm) decides who bears which cost, and that is the heart of this distinction. When comparing, check line by line which items are included, which are excluded and whether anything must still be paid on arrival. Once two quotes are brought to the same scope, the gap usually narrows noticeably.
Which costs are not included in the freight?
Freight is the price of moving the cargo from one point to another; taxes and waiting charges are not part of it. Typically excluded are import duties and VAT, the customs broker's fee, terminal handling (THC) and document and cargo-release fees, storage, demurrage and detention once free time is exceeded, and, where needed, inspection, weighing and labelling costs. One detail on documents: in Türkiye, customs offices have not asked for a delivery order since a 2017 letter of the Directorate General of Customs, yet agents may still invoice a similar item under other names. Cargo insurance is also a separate item. Reading the "excluded" part of a quote first avoids surprises on arrival.
Is full-container or shared-container shipping better for my cargo?
It depends on how much of a container your cargo fills. If it fills most of a container, full-container (FCL) shipping is usually better for unit cost and time; for a few pallets, shared-container (LCL) shipping makes sense. In LCL the charge is based on whichever is higher of weight and volume: at sea 1 m³ is treated as equal to 1 tonne, and the resulting unit is the revenue ton (R/T). LCL cargo passes through consolidation and deconsolidation, so door-to-door time is longer and there is more handling. Share the dimensions and we can compare both options.
Shipment process and timing
How does a shipment start?
It starts when you share the cargo details and approve the quote. After approval the booking is opened, the loading date and the document and cargo cut-off times are set, and the export documents are prepared and passed to the customs broker. Once the cargo is loaded into the vehicle or container, the transport document is issued; at the destination, customs clearance and delivery follow. Who does what at each step depends on the delivery term in the sales contract, so settling the Incoterm in the first conversation speeds things up noticeably.
What does transit time depend on?
Transit time depends on the transport mode, the route, whether there is a transhipment and how quickly customs clears. At sea, direct services are noticeably shorter than those with transhipment, and waiting for a connecting vessel can add days. By air the flight is short, but acceptance, transfer and destination warehouse handling add to the total. By road, border queues and driver working hours are decisive. Published times are normally port-to-port or terminal-to-terminal; door-to-door time adds customs and local transport.
Why are shipments delayed?
Common causes are schedule changes, missed connections at transhipment ports, port and terminal congestion, bad weather and selection for customs inspection. Documents cause many delays too: an incomplete or inconsistent invoice, a weight mismatch between the packing list and the declaration, a wrong HS code or a missing origin document will stop the process. While a container waits in port its free time keeps running, so delay often brings extra cost as well. Checking the documents before loading is the practical way to reduce this risk.
How can I track my cargo?
Tracking is done with the transport document number. For sea shipments it is the bill of lading or booking number, by air the air waybill (AWB) number, and by road the vehicle and CMR consignment note details. With these numbers the status of the vessel or flight can be seen on the carrier's systems. We also update you at loading, departure, transhipment, arrival and customs steps, and if you ask for an interim status, the person handling your shipment answers directly. Keep in mind that the estimated arrival may be updated along the way.
How do I choose between sea, air and road freight?
The choice balances the value, urgency, weight and volume of the cargo. If the cargo is heavy and bulky and the delivery date is flexible, sea freight wins on unit cost. If it is light, valuable or under time pressure, air freight can lower the total cost once stock, penalty and production-stop costs are counted. For Europe and nearby regions, road is often the best balance of time and cost, because it runs door to door without transhipment. Comparing more than one mode for the same cargo is sound practice.
Is transport door to door or port to port?
Both are possible; the delivery term in the sales contract decides which applies. With terms such as EXW or FCA, cost and risk pass early; under DAP or DDP, transport and delivery are largely on the seller. Incoterms define not only who pays but also the point at which risk passes to the buyer, which is where insurance disputes start. Stating the delivery term when you ask for a quote gets you a price on the right scope and lets you compare different quotes on the same basis.
Documents and customs
Which documents are needed for an international shipment?
The core set is the same for almost every shipment: a commercial invoice, a packing list and a transport document. The transport document is a bill of lading at sea, an air waybill (AWB) by air and a CMR consignment note by road. The difference matters: a bill of lading is a document of title and the cargo is released to its rightful holder, while an AWB and a CMR note are receipts and evidence of the contract of carriage that do not by themselves give ownership of the goods. Depending on country and product, an A.TR movement certificate (free-circulation status), an EUR.1 movement certificate or a certificate of origin (proof of origin), health and conformity certificates and a dangerous goods declaration may be added. In export, the process becomes official when the customs declaration is registered. Which documents are needed depends on the HS code and the destination, so confirm the list before loading.
Who chooses the customs broker, and who is responsible for the declaration?
As a rule the cargo owner chooses the broker and gives the power of attorney; the forwarder only recommends one or coordinates on the owner's behalf. Representation can be direct or indirect: in indirect representation the broker acts in its own name but for the owner's account. Whoever chooses, the owner remains mainly responsible for the accuracy of the information behind the declaration, and the financial and penal consequences of a wrong declaration come from there. So the invoice, packing list and HS code must reach the broker complete and consistent. Whether working with a broker is compulsory is covered in the customs clearance glossary entry.
What happens if I declare the wrong HS code?
A wrong HS code (GTİP in Türkiye) leads to unpaid duty being assessed, penalties, selection for inspection and loss of the benefits of movement certificates. The cargo waits until the declaration is corrected, which produces demurrage in port and storage in the warehouse. Once a code is wrong it is repeated on later shipments, so the risk of retroactive assessment grows. If in doubt, ask the customs broker and, where needed, apply for a binding tariff information (BTI) decision, which also binds the administration for that product. What an HS code is and how its digits are built is explained in the glossary.
When is an A.TR certificate needed?
An A.TR movement certificate is issued for goods in free circulation between Türkiye and the European Union under the Customs Union, and lets them benefit from the duty advantage the parties grant each other. It covers industrial products and processed agricultural products; the certificate shows free-circulation status, not the origin of the goods. It therefore does not by itself protect against additional customs duty: if the goods originate in a third country, origin must be proven separately. A.TR has no function in trade with countries outside the Customs Union. For agricultural products outside the Customs Union and for products on the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) list, an EUR.1 is issued instead of A.TR for shipments to the EU; because the agricultural exclusion is not limited to raw products, the decision should be made by HS code. The certificate must be presented to the importing country's customs within four months of the date of endorsement.
When is an EUR.1 certificate issued?
An EUR.1 is a movement certificate that proves the origin of goods; it is used on shipments to countries with which Türkiye has a free trade agreement, to benefit from the preferential duty rate. In trade with the EU it replaces A.TR for agricultural products outside the Customs Union and for ECSC coal and iron-steel products. For the advantage to apply, the product must meet the origin rules of the agreement; having the certificate issued is not enough. The exporter prepares the document and it is endorsed by the chamber and by customs. The presentation period depends on the rule set: ten months in trade under the revised PEM rules, four months under free trade agreements outside PEM. For shipments valued under EUR 6,000, an origin declaration on the invoice can be used instead of a certificate. Check beforehand that your buyer's country accepts the document.
What is the main difference between export and import documents?
In export the weight is on the declaration and supporting documents in the country of departure; in import, the tax, standards and permit regime of the destination country decides. Export documents are the invoice, packing list, customs declaration and, if needed, movement or origin certificates. Import adds the calculation of duties and VAT, product-specific conformity checks and, for some products, prior permission or registration. The time pressure differs too: once cargo arrives in port, free time starts running, so in import a missing document turns directly into cost.
Cargo, packaging and insurance
Which cargo cannot be shipped?
Cargo that cannot be shipped is cargo banned by law, products the destination country does not allow to be imported and items the carrier does not accept. Weapons, narcotics and counterfeit goods are out of scope from the start. Beyond that, cash, precious metals and jewellery, live animals and human remains do not travel in the standard cargo flow. Dangerous goods are not banned but are subject to special rules, packaging and declaration. Some products need permission only in the destination country, so say what the cargo is and give its HS code at the start.
Can I ship dangerous goods?
Yes, with a compliant declaration and packaging. Each mode has its own rule set: the IMDG Code at sea, IATA DGR by air and ADR by road. Each substance has a UN number, a hazard class and a packing group; approved packaging, labelling and placarding, and a declaration form are required. The process starts with the product's safety data sheet (SDS), which you need to share at the quote stage. In LCL, most consolidators do not accept dangerous goods or accept only certain classes. A missing or concealed declaration brings not only extra cost but serious legal liability.
Do I need to insure my cargo?
Carrier liability and cargo insurance are not the same thing; if you want real compensation for damage, you need cargo insurance. International conventions and the Turkish Commercial Code limit the carrier's liability by weight or package: by road under CMR, 8.33 SDR per kilogram; by air under the Montreal Convention, 26 SDR per kilogram from 28 December 2024; at sea under Hague-Visby-based rules, the higher of 666.67 SDR per package and 2 SDR per kilogram. These ceilings are below the real value of most cargo, and where the carrier is not liable no compensation may arise at all. For valuable or fragile cargo, count insurance as a separate cost from the start.
How should cargo be packed and palletised?
Packaging means preparing the cargo to withstand handling and stacking, and it is the shipper's responsibility. For palletised cargo, the goods should not overhang the pallet, should be stretch-wrapped and strapped where needed, and labelled to show whether they can be stacked. If you use wooden pallets or crates, ISPM 15 applies: the wood must be heat-treated so that its core reaches at least 56 °C for 30 minutes, and it must carry the stamp of an authorised facility. The rule covers raw wood packaging; processed panel materials such as plywood and MDF are outside it. Many countries, including the European Union, the USA, Canada and China, do not accept unstamped wood.
Why must the weight and dimensions declared be accurate?
Wrong figures distort both the price and legal compliance. The charge is based on the higher of actual weight and volumetric weight, and if dimensions are missing the difference is re-invoiced after loading. At sea, under the SOLAS rule, the shipper has had to declare the verified gross mass (VGM) of the container since 1 July 2016, and a container is not loaded on the vessel without a valid declaration. A mismatch between the declaration and the packing list is also a reason for customs inspection. Give figures by weighing and measuring, not by estimate.
How is volumetric weight calculated?
In air freight, multiply the package's length, width and height in centimetres and divide by 6000, the IATA standard divisor; the result in kilograms is the volumetric weight. It is compared with the actual gross weight and the higher one is the chargeable weight. Express courier networks use 5000, so the same box comes out about twenty per cent heavier. In road groupage the common divisor is 3000. In sea LCL no divisor is used: the comparison is directly between cubic metres and tonnes, 1 m³ equals 1,000 kg, and the greater is billed as the revenue ton (R/T). A worked example is in the volumetric weight glossary entry, and the calculator is in the volumetric weight tool.
How we work
Who do you work with?
We work with manufacturers and trading companies that import or export; both regular shippers and one-off senders are in scope. Size alone does not decide anything: a few pallets of LCL and a full container go through the same process, only the set-up differs. With first-time customers we explain the process from the start. You can reach us on +90 232 421 94 94 or at info@cargomerger.com.
I am importing or exporting for the first time. Where do I start?
Start by describing your cargo: what the product is, its HS code, its weight and its dimensions. The second step is to settle the delivery term in the sales contract, since it decides where cost and risk change hands. The third is to work out with a customs broker which documents and permits the destination country requires. Once these three are clear, transport mode and cost can be discussed. If terms trip you up, the glossary explains the basic concepts; you can also send us your questions directly.
Which services do you provide in one place?
We run sea, air and road transport from a single point. At sea we handle full (FCL) and shared (LCL) containers, by air standard and express cargo, and by road groupage and full-vehicle options. Pickup, coordination of export and import customs procedures, document preparation and delivery at the destination accompany these. The aim is for you to run all steps of the shipment with one contact instead of writing to separate companies. Depending on your need, only the freight or a door-to-door set-up can be arranged.
How can I request a quote?
Fill in the quote form, or contact us directly by phone or email. In the form, give the origin and destination, the dimensions and weight, the delivery term and the estimated loading date; attaching a proforma invoice or packing list speeds things up. Phone +90 232 421 94 94, email info@cargomerger.com. Replies are faster when the cargo details are complete; if something is missing, we ask for all the missing items in one go.