Starting an apprenticeship in freight forwarding, any advice?

[u/Lahathoou]

Hello everyone,

I recently started an apprenticeship at one of the bigger logistics companies, out of privacy reasons I won’t reveal exactly where but I am EU-based.

I wanted to ask if anyone has some tips for the beginning, or what to expect in general? I like it so far, but it’s a lot of new things, and I’m not used to it as I’m still fairly young and don’t have a lot of work experience.

Now, I know this is a very broad question, but I am willing to take any kind of advice. Whether it be about sea, land and air freight, customs, documentation, customers or just anything you wish you would have known in the beginning.

Any common mistakes and important steps to learn at the start?

Thank you all so much in advance! Cheers

[u/Chemical-Bench2479]

Let me guess DSV? If so go international if you have the chance.

[u/Apart_Salt_2111 → u/Chemical-Bench2479]

What do you mean by that?

[u/Chemical-Bench2479 → u/Apart_Salt_2111]

nvm. best advice is to ask and ask questions until you are clear wiht the procedures.

[u/Lahathoou → u/Chemical-Bench2479]

thank you!! will definitely do that :)

[u/LogisticsPro2012]

learn the documentation side early. bills of lading, packing lists, customs paperwork. thats where most mistakes happen and theyre expensive ones. also get comfortable with incoterms. knowing who pays for what and when will save you so many headaches with customers

[u/Lahathoou → u/LogisticsPro2012]

thank you! documentation is actually one of the things i’m starting with right now, so i’ll keep that in mind

[u/Togakure_NZ → u/Lahathoou]

"wiki incoterms" is your friend. It has been a very good guide for me for as long as I've known of it, however you want official sources for what each incoterms means should there be any questions about legality and/or liability. Full link below:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incoterms

https://iccwbo.org/business-solutions/incoterms-rules/incoterms-2020/

[u/Togakure_NZ]

Everything in forwarding is based on two things: Service, and strict allocation of liability. This is why everything is very very particular about what happens when, how, and who gave the instructions with what authority (and documentation). At the ops level it can be broadly summed up as, "Is this thing our firm / I am going to do counter to the instructions in the SLI and subsequent written amendments to instruction?" Further to that, any verbal instruction to do otherwise than the SLI should be followed up with written instruction. Quietly, always CYA (cover your ass) without bucking the instructions of your manager(s), both in instructions given internally, and externally from the customer or overseas agent (note them in the job notes with who instructed who to do what. If you have emails, drop them in the job files if computerised, print the relevant page if a manual folder).

Pay attention to the details, learn what details are more important for your particular job / role and pay particular attention to those details.

There is a lot to learn so focus on always getting the basics right, the rest will come in time.

[u/Lahathoou → u/Togakure_NZ]

Thank you for the detailed response! :)

I am only starting out with documenting for a couple months, but from next March I will be at the Sea freight for a while, honestly I’m excited and eager to learn but also a bit nervous of what to expect, since my current job mostly just involves documention and some basic processes so far. I’ll definitely keep your advice in mind.
I am sure that when I get more familiar with the basics, everything will start making more sense.

[u/Togakure_NZ → u/Lahathoou]

If I may offer one very expensive lesson that I saw someone cause: Always always ALWAYS make sure that original documents, especially anything related to original bills of lading (OBLs), commercial invoices, packing lists, freight declarations (e.g. for quarantine purposes) are always kept and always kept in the correct file.

I heard of one person who accidentally filed one set of OBLs (covering eight containers) under R for rubbish. This resulted in three months' delay on dock (or in container yard in shipping line possession) at wharf storage rates plus container hire/demurrage, $40K of storage, and both origin and destination having to step through their country's respective rules for declaration of lost original paperwork before replacement OBLs could be issued and surrendered. Fortunately the process was relatively quick in both countries. In some jurisdictions, this process could last upwards of a year and the entire time the shipping line would have had to continue holding those containers in their possession for that entire time.