The Most Common Mistakes in Liquid Bulk Shipping

Liquid bulk items describe any free-flowing liquid material, including consumables such as juice and milk. Their shipment takes place through a specialized flexitank. 

Previously, tank containers were the major mode of transportation until the invention of flexibags took place. The bags convert normal containers into transportation units for liquid bulk and provide a substitute to the more conventional drums and tanks that ship non-hazardous liquids. While liquid bulk transportation is efficient, you’ll want to avoid these mistakes.

No Communication

The most evident problem in this industry is the lack of communication. For instance, interpersonal relationships are increasingly becoming rare. Instead, an over-dependence on digital communication has arisen, which increases the likelihood of misinterpretations and a lack of clarity on the shipment prerequisites. 

Missing a detail on a shipment could lead to disappointment both on the shipper’s side as well as the shopper. It could even lead to the loss of thousands of dollars in a case where detail was missed on bulk shipment of a major ingredient.

The lack of Equipment and Material Understanding

Another omission that takes place in the shipment of bulk liquids entails matching the wrong kinds of tanks with chemicals. In such cases, the tank and other equipment can suffer damage in various ways. To protect the equipment and load, the chemical’s properties need full comprehension and appropriate tank matching. 

For instance, it isn’t sufficient to match phosphoric acid with a stainless-steel tank because different types exist and some might not be compatible. For example, steel 317L or 316 L is better for commercial kinds of phosphoric acid than other kinds of steel. 

Many times, the due diligence is overlooked. To prevent costly and potentially dangerous ramifications, you should consider the following traits in a bulk liquid carrier:

Knowledge-the carrier should demonstrate a thorough understanding of the materials, chemicals, and equipment involved.

Experience-you should identify the degree of experience which the carrier has in liquid bulk transportation.

The communication-the carrier should demonstrate sufficient communication while working to make sure that their capacities and your needs are aligned.

No Collaboration

In cases where there’s tight capacity, carriers and shippers should collaborate to adjust to tank scarcity proactively. For shippers, this implies making concessions like advance scheduling and permitting broader delivery windows. 

For carriers, it implies scheduled arrangements to accommodate shippers. However, this collaborative aspect is often missing and companies can at times remain rigid in their ways. Currently, bulk shipping is a seller’s market and shippers might need to modify their expectations and typical means of tanker capacity. Remember, the reluctance to adjust might jeopardize lines of supply.

What Happens During Bulk Shipping?

Whether you’re exporting or importing bulk cargo, shipping involves three important steps: loading, unloading, and storage. When the imported shipment arrives at the chosen port, unloading, and transportation to a storage facility occur so you can arrange for further transportation and collection inland. 

When exporting, you’ll store bulk cargo at the port’s facility to await loading and transportation into the shipping vessel. Shipment storage at the port will save you the hassle of making a rushed delivery by giving you enough time for your cargo’s departure and loading. 

You’ll have to engage the specialist services to oversee the offloading, unloading and storage of cargo because they entail considerable regulations and paperwork. Flexitank companies will help you save money and time by smoothing the complicated facets of bulk shipping.

Factors that Affect the Cost of Bulk Shipping

The cost of bulk shipping normally occurs on four major factors. However, the costs can also fluctuate based on various market conditions. The major factors include:

Weight and Size

These factors influence shipment costs the most. You’ll need to offer precise cargo measurements and weight. Furthermore, every shipped item will have a National Motor Freight Classification number based on its size and weight.

Dimensional weight

This standard formula considers your shipment’s density to establish shipping expenses. Transportation charges might depend on gross or dimensional weight, whichever is superior. For instance. Items that don’t have much weight but consume considerable space will incur charges through dimensional weight.

Distance 

Although the traveled distance at times plays a role in determining bulk shipping expenses, rates don’t typically increase based on the miles. Rather, a complex formula calculates rates while considering groups of destinations, origins, and shipment types. At times, per-mile rates decline with distance based on line-haul expenses and terminal expenses for various transportation modes.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Bulk Carrier

When selecting a flexitank company for product handling, you must consider various factors. From using the right equipment throughout transport to ensuring drivers have appropriate training, carrier selection must entail a thorough vetting procedure. 

Safety

The chosen flexitank carrier will handle important liquid products, so it must adhere to the necessary prerequisites of state and federal authorities. You’ll need to inquire about the company’s safety metrics, including FNCSA and TRIR scores. It’s equally important that you inspect the quality of their flexibags, which will transport your bags.

Seek national or regional carriers with diversified service capacities

When seeking a carrier, you might want to use a company that offers a diverse range of services and the ability to support regional, short and long-haul projects. 

On-time delivery

The last thing you want is to do business with an unreliable carrier who doesn’t value timeliness. You might want to look for a carrier that offers 24/7/365 operations. This way, you’re assured there’s someone to address your problems regardless of the time or the day. 

Liquid bulk shipping demands efficiency, so you want to work with a reliable company that offers quality flexibags for transporting your goods. Make sure you research before settling for a transport company.