About Us

20’ ocean container unit (TEU) Standard 20’ container: Measuring capacity for a vessel.

3PL: A 3rd party outsourced logistic company (warehousing & distribution)

40’ ocean container (FEU): Standard or High Cube container: Measuring capacity for a vessel

Alliance: airlines or steam lines coordinating each other’s schedules and selling capacity

Break-bulk cargo: Each piece is handled by the terminal handler

Bulk Cargo: vehicles, tank, grain moved by bulk-ship types

Carrier: A transportation provider (truckers, railroad, airline, steam line)

Common Carrier: Transportation providers

Consignee: A person or a company receiving the freight (the receiver)

Consolidation services: NVOCC re-group shipments into a warehouse from various shippers, load a full container load, ship to a destination port to their agent known as the break-bulk agent that will segregate each shipment readying it for its final destination (refer to your shipping terms)

Container leasing: supplied by the carriers to shippers for the duration of the voyage

Cost of freight (C & F) or Cost of Freight + Insurance (CIF): Freight charges payable by shipper & up to the destination port / airport only. (Always refer to Baum Shipping disclosure / information sheet)

Cross-dock: A terminal receiving (inbound), storing & exporting (outbound)

Customhouse broker: A clearing house through Customs for importers

Detention / Demurrage: Assessed by the carriers to the shipper / consignee for keeping a shipment longer than the authorized time.

Diversion / Re-consignment: Change of consignee name on the bill of lading while the freight is in transit (cost associated with it)

Door to Door: Transportation services from the origin / destination curb sides (duty paid or unpaid to be defined). The originator of the request (shipper or the consignee) is responsible to pay all charges. (Always refer to Baum Shipping disclosure / information sheet)

Drayage: Local trucking

Dunnage: Materials inside a container used to secure (IE# bracing & blocking a vehicle)

Free on Board (FOB): ex-factory charges up to the origin port / airport are for the shipper’s account. Consignees are responsible once delivered to the port / airport of origin all the way to their site.

Freight bill of lading: A legal shipping document between a shipper and a carrier for the transportation of freight (reflect all parties involved and shipping terms of sales)

Freight forwarder: A booking agent on behalf of the shippers handles the export declaration to the USA Customs and other logistical freight services

Baum Shipping (aka ETC International Freight System), a licensed / bonded international freight forwarder and serves as the booking agent on behalf of their customers. All shipments are carried under the terms and conditions set forth by the carrier (steamship line, airline, or trucking company).

If no insurance is purchased for the cargo being shipped, the shippers’ recourses for losses can be made to the steam lines or the airlines, while holding Baum Shipping harmless for their role in booking their shipments. Delays in the delivery of shipments do not constitute a claim, as referred by our US Congress in the ratified Shipping Act of 1993.

When the customer elects not to obtain cargo insurance, any claims are subject to the limitations of liability established by the underwriter issuing liability coverage to the carrier. For more information related to liability coverage, please see below:

IATA Conditions of Contract

Ocean Freight Terms and Conditions

Ex-Works:

The buyer is responsible for all transport charges. You still are the shipper of record and are responsible for providing shipping documents.

FOB named port: (Free Onboard) example – FOB port of NY/NJ

The seller is responsible for getting the shipment placed onto the ocean vessel at the port that is named. Typical charges are transport to the port, port fees, loading fees and export customs charges. You are still the shipper of record and are responsible for providing shipping documents. This term is only used for ocean shipments.

CIF named port: (Cost, Insurance & Freight) example – CIF port of Liverpool

The seller is responsible for all transport charges to the destination port and is responsible for insuring the product to the destination port. Typical charges are transport to the airport or seaport, port fees, loading fee, export customs charges, ocean line charges, insurance, and freight forwarder fees. You are the shipper of record and are responsible for providing shipping documents.

DDU: (Delivered Duty Unpaid):

The seller is responsible for all transportation charges to the final destination address (door to door) and for the customs broker’s service fees but is not responsible for customs duty and taxes. Typical charges include inland transport to the airport or seaport, port fees, loading fees, freight forwarder fees, export customs charges, destination port fees, customs brokerage fees, inland delivery charges. Basically, all charges except the customs duty and taxes (VAT).

DDP: (Delivered Duty Paid)

The seller is responsible for all charges from Door to Door including customs duty and taxes (VAT). Note that duty and taxes can be 20-40 % of the initial cost of the goods. This is very risky as you are responsible for any problems encountered even though you may have no control over them as in changing country requirements.