01Why consolidate
- Loading together usually costs less in freight than each supplier shipping separately.
- One set of documents, one customs clearance on arrival.
- Avoids goods that arrive early sitting at the destination for a long time, taking up storage and getting lost.
02How to schedule
Ask each supplier for their completion date first, find the latest one, and have the others deliver to the warehouse to match it.
| Supplier | Product | Production complete | Delivered to the consolidation warehouse |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Bedding | Week 5 | Before week 7 |
| B | Towels | Week 4 | Before week 7 |
| C | Toiletries | Week 3 | Before week 7 |
| D | Furniture | Week 7 | Week 7 |
In this example furniture is the latest, so the whole shipment is loaded in week 8. Other factories can start a little later instead of finishing early and waiting.
03What the consolidation warehouse does
- Count cartons and quantities against each supplier's packing list.
- Spot-check appearance and packaging; photograph any damage on the spot and contact the factory.
- Apply consistent shipping marks and prepare one master packing list.
- Stage goods in loading order: what's unloaded first goes in last, by the container doors.
04How to write shipping marks
Shipping marks are the labels on outer cartons used to find and sort goods on arrival. All factories use the same format.
Shipping mark example
Project: Al Noor Hotel
Product: bath towel 70 × 140 cm
Quantity: 20 pcs / carton
Carton No.: 15 / 120
Gross weight / size: 12 kg / 60 × 40 × 40 cm
Receiving area: 3rd floor guestroom linen room
05FCL or LCL
| Method | Suited to | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| 20 ft container | Up to about 25 cubic meters | Best value when volume is close to a full container |
| 40 ft high cube | Up to about 60 cubic meters | Common for projects with lots of bulky furniture |
| LCL | Small volumes | Charged by volume; on arrival you wait for unpacking, so it takes longer |
| Air freight | Samples or urgent small batches | Fastest and most expensive |
Generally, above about 15 cubic meters a full container works out cheaper than LCL. The freight quote at the time decides.
06Documents
After consolidation, one party issues the commercial invoice and packing list, plus the bill of lading. Certificates of origin and other documents are handled per destination requirements. Product names and quantities on the documents must match what was actually loaded, or the shipment will be inspected at customs.
07Common mistakes
- Each supplier ships separately, so goods arrive in several consignments, with repeated trips for clearance and pickup.
- Inconsistent shipping marks, so goods can't be found on arrival.
- Packing list doesn't match actual quantities, so goods are held at customs.
- The schedule ignored the latest supplier, so other goods sat in the warehouse for a long time.