The Incoterms are the international agreements that establish at which point of an international commerce exchange the responsibility over the cargo, how it is handled and what happens to it is transferred from importer to exporter. They are labeled as: EXW (Ex Works), FCA (Free Carrier), CPT (Carriage Paid To), CIP (Carriage and Insurance Paid to), DAP (Delivered at Place), DPU (Delivered at Place Unloaded), DDP (Delivery Duty Paid), FAS (Free Alongside Ship), FOB (Free On Board), CFR (Cost and Freight), CIF (Cost Insurance and Freight). You can see them all under detail by following this link.

Intermodal shipping works by combining different carrying vehicles of diverse modes (road, railway, sea, air) without handling the content of the container or truck itself when changing from one mode to another.
This method of transportation reduces CO2 (CarbonDioxide), N20 (Nitrous Oxide) emissions and decreases noise pollution. It also has the advantages of enhancing time reliability, lowering the risk of accidents by diminishing highway traffic (though your cargo will still be protected by our cost free insurance) and at many circumstances improving times by being the fastest route from parting point to destination. For more information, check our Continental Haulage service.

These are both terms that apply to truckage. LTL shipping refers to the transportation of relatively small freight. LTL freight carriers usually handle small shipments of cargo from multiple businesses, with all of the goods sharing space on a semi-trailer. In contrast, FTL refers to larger shipments whereby an entire freight load from one business occupies the space on a semi-trailer destined to one client. You can learn more by clicking this link.

Containers come in many different sizes and weight limits (there can be fluctuations. These are the basic standards):

Tare weight refers to the container’s weight when empty.

Payload is the maximum weight that the container can withhold.

Gross weight is the tare weight plus the payload.

As stated before, this is but a simple guide. Learn more here.

Dangerous goods are classified as hazardous materials or Hazmat. When they are delivered through sea, they are known as IMO cargo (International Maritime Organization). ADR, in turn, stands for Accord Dangereux Routier and it is the agreement that regulates the international shipment of dangerous goods by road. It includes: Explosive substances and objects, Gas or liquid, Flammable liquids and solids, Oxidizing substances, Poisonous (toxic) and infectious substances, Radioactive substances, Corrosives & Mixed hazardous substances. There is a special code (known as UN codes) for each kind of dangerous cargo. If you have an ADR shipment you can search for the UN code of it on this link.
If you want more information regarding hazardous shipping, click here.

ISO standards are internationally agreed upon regulations meant to establish a normalized standard for products worldwide. Thanks to these rules, there exists a comprehensive standard for quality, environmental responsibility, energy management, food safety, IT security and health safety. Learn more here.

Refrigerated containers and warehouses (reefers) are an option when one needs to transport or conserve freight that needs to stay at special temperatures either to avoid rot, reduce bacterial multiplication or maintain their functionality or integrity. We typify this kind of service as an Exceptional Cargo Project.

Even though there is an international standard for track gauge (how wide the railways and therefore the trains that run on them are), countries and sometimes regions have different sized tracks due to historical differences. Spain, for example, has the Iberic track gauge while the rest of Europe runs on the international standard. You can see how track gauge changes globally here.

RSN uses both an internal network managing application system to connect and direct its vast web of independent agents and providers; and the latest version of the Solport license to allow our clients to have absolute control of how their cargo is being managed.With this tool at your disposal you will be able to*:

º Follow your shipment through sea at all times from any mobile or computer.

º Observe invaluable performance indicators in real time.

º Receive as many updates as you desire thanks to Solport's scheduled alerts system.

º Monitor your solution easily thanks to Solport's Microsoft Office integration. 

º Create a detailed analysis to help your business grow.

º Some of these elements might be limited or non available on certain routes or projects.

Partnering with Solport allows us to provide a familiar and intuitive tool to our users throughout the RSN Workflow process. Follow this link to learn more about Solport.

Chartering refers to the practice of hiring an entire ship to carry your goods. On the other hand, Tramp refers to ships that stay at sea without a fixed route and who benefit from cross trade by being ready at all times.  More often than not, chartered ships are tramp ships and that is why the terms have been fused together.

Sometimes, when the amount of goods that you need to transport are extreme, renting an entire ship becomes the cheaper and therefore smarter choice. It is a good option for associated importers who need a great quantity of a given material and come together to buy it in bulk for an overall cheaper price. As you can imagine, this kind of operation means a heavy investment and you need a forwarder of trust to carry it. Handling an entire vessel and all of its cargo needs expertise and not every logistics agent can do it. Contact us if you think that chartering might be an option for your business.