Course overview
International freight movements fail or incur avoidable cost when commercial terms, transport instructions, customs data and carrier documents do not match. A missing certificate of origin, incorrect commodity code, unsuitable bill of lading instruction or poorly defined Incoterms® rule can delay clearance, create demurrage exposure, prevent payment under a letter of credit or transfer liability unexpectedly. Freight forwarders and shipper logistics teams must coordinate multiple parties while maintaining accurate records and clear customer communication.
This course develops the practical knowledge required to plan, price, book, document and control international shipments. Participants work through the freight forwarding operating cycle: cargo assessment, routing, modal selection, Incoterms® 2020 allocation, freight quotations, export and import customs procedures, transport documentation, payment documentation, cargo insurance, dangerous goods controls, claims and performance management. The course addresses sea freight, air freight, road, rail and multimodal movements, with particular attention to the interfaces between shippers, forwarders, carriers, customs brokers, banks, insurers and consignees.
Short instructor briefings establish the rules and terminology, followed by document reviews, shipment cases, group problem-solving, simulations and structured application planning. Participants progressively build a shipment file from customer enquiry through delivery, including a route plan, quotation, document pack, compliance checks and exception controls. They leave with reusable templates and checklists that can be adapted to their organisation’s lanes, cargo types and customer requirements.
The course is suited to professionals who already work with imports, exports, purchasing, logistics, customer service or freight operations and need stronger control over forwarding decisions and documentation quality.
