How cargo is described depends on the shipment type. LCL and air shipments carry packages; FCL shipments carry containers. A shipment can reference containers either way — an LCL consolidation still ends up in one.
Packages
Each package line describes a set of identical pieces.
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Quantity | How many pieces. |
| Package type | Carton, pallet, crate, drum. |
| Dimensions | Length, width, height, with a unit: cm, m, mm, inch, ft, yard. |
| Weight | With a unit: kg, g, lb, ton, oz. |
| Volume | Cubic measure. |
| Volumetric weight | Chargeable weight derived from dimensions. |
| Commercial weight | The weight the charge is actually based on. |
| Commodity | What it is. |
| HS code | Customs tariff classification. |
| Marks | Shipping marks on the packaging. |
| UOM | Unit of measure. |
| Stackable | Whether it can be stacked. |
| Hazardous | Whether it is dangerous goods. |
| Container | Which container it is loaded into. |
Auto-generated weights
Volumetric weight and commercial weight can each be auto-generated from what you entered, or set by hand.
Leave auto-generation on unless you have a reason to override. These two figures are what freight is charged on, and they are exactly the numbers that get mistyped. If a carrier has given you a chargeable weight that differs from the arithmetic, override it deliberately and say why in the shipment notes — an unexplained manual weight is impossible to audit later.
Hazardous cargo
Ticking hazardous opens two further fields:
- Hazardous class — the IMDG or IATA class.
- UN number — the four-digit substance identifier.
Fill in both. A hazardous flag without a class and UN number is not enough for the carrier, the port or the declaration, and it will come back to you at the worst moment.
Containers
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Container number | The ISO container number. |
| Container type | 20GP, 40HC, reefer, and so on — from the container types catalog. |
| Seal | Seal number. |
| Quantity | Number of containers of this line. |
| Weight | With a unit. |
| Hazardous | Dangerous goods flag. |
| Temperature, Ventilation, Humidity | Reefer settings. |
| Warehouse and Storage date | Where it is being held and from when. |
Reefer settings
Temperature, ventilation and humidity apply to refrigerated containers. Record what the customer specified, not what you assume is standard — these are the numbers that get quoted back at you when cargo arrives spoiled.
Storage date drives money
Storage date is not just information. Storage and demurrage charges are calculated per day from it, using the time-based units described in Pricing a quotation. A storage date left blank or set wrongly produces a recharge that does not match the warehouse's own invoice.
Weight and measure, and why the units matter
Freight is frequently charged on W/M — weight or measure, whichever is greater. That means the volume you enter is not decoration: for light bulky cargo it is what the customer pays on.
Three checks before you consider cargo detail complete:
- Dimensions and weight carry the right units. Entering centimetres where the rate assumes metres is a hundredfold error that looks entirely ordinary on screen.
- Volume and volumetric weight are consistent with the dimensions, unless deliberately overridden.
- Piece counts match the packing list. Everything downstream — the bill of lading, the customs declaration, the invoice — counts pieces.
Packaging types
The package types available are configured under Shipments → Packaging. Keep the list short and unambiguous; a list containing Pallet, pallets and PLT produces three sets of statistics for one thing.
Last updated 9 September 2026