SafeLogic Blog

Comparing quotes on ocean freight alone is like choosing a doctor by consultation fee

So here are breakdowns from practice, with numbers: container, oversized and reefer shipping. Where the difference hides — and how to calculate it before loading, not after the invoice.

Two pages of the proforma invoice: the line item for an XCMG QY100KH truck crane at $240,000 with FOURTY misspelled in the amount, and the bank details block with a Hong Kong account

Guide · Importing from China

How to vet a Chinese supplier before payment

Four checks before you transfer money, 14 red flags and a one-hour checklist. With a case where vetting stopped a $240,000 payment for a crane that didn’t exist.

2 September 20269 min

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Incoterms 2020: all 11 rules in one table — where risk and costs pass

Reference · International trade

Incoterms 2020: all 11 rules and where they cost you money

A table of all eleven with a transfer scale for risk and cost. Seven traps from practice and a case where switching CIF to FOB removed thousands of dollars in demurrage.

3 September 202613 min

Why the insurer denies a cargo claim: policy exclusions, reefer containers, CIF

Breakdown · Insurance

Cargo insurance: why the insurer denies the claim

Exclusions people only learn about after the damage: condensation, mysterious disappearance, the minimum policy under CIF. Three real cases and a conversation with an insurance broker.

2 September 20268 min

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A cargo vessel in the Black Sea with thick black smoke after a strike

Situation · Container

Port calls to Odesa have stopped: cargo goes via Constanța

Since 22 July the lines have stopped calling at the ports of Greater Odesa — Maersk, CMA CGM, MSC. Cargo goes via Constanța, and without changes to the bill of lading it will not be released. What to do if your container has been rerouted.

4 August 20267 min

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A container with pallets of facade tiles secured with dunnage bags

Case · Container

225 tonnes of tiles from Spain: when a container is €6,950 cheaper than trucks

Peak season, no trucks on the Alicante–Dnipro route, and the client has 225 tonnes of tiles. Instead of queueing for trucks we did the maths — and on heavy cargo the container with rail won by almost €7,000.

27 July 20264 min

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An oversized run of a mobile crane on a low-loader with a CONVOI EXCEPTIONNEL sign

Reference · Oversized

An oversized permit: who issues it, what it costs, how long you wait

There is no single EU permit — it is issued in each country of the route separately. Who issues it, how the cost is calculated and how long you wait in Ukraine, Poland, Romania, the Netherlands and Germany.

28 July 20267 min

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The doors of a 20-foot 22G1 container marked NET 28,320 kg

Reference · Container

Container payload: 20, 40 and 40HC — the full table

Payload 20'GP ≈28,200 kg, 40'GP ≈26,700 kg, 40'HC ≈28,600 kg — yes, the “forty-footer” takes less. A table of tare, gross, volume and pallets plus the main thing: why “it fits” ≠ “you’re allowed to carry it”.

27 July 20266 min

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