Receiving An Arrival Notice

A new international ocean cargo shipment recipient might wonder how they might find out exactly when their shipment reaches the destination port. One way is through a special shipping document known as an arrival notice. Basically, the arrival notice is document sent by the ocean freight carrier, freight forwarder or agent to the consignee for the purpose of informing them of the arrival of the container at the port. The parties that are notified about the arrival are usually listed as the consignees in the Bill of Lading. There are many important details available on the arrival notice about the shipment. The arrival notice has been given in international shipping for many years as a printed-paper document. Due to recent technology, shippers can now receive the arrival notice as a PDF attached in an email.

The purpose of the arrival notice is to allow the consignee the opportunity to begin arranging all of the necessary clearance and pickup procedures after the arrival of the container of the port. It should be noted that the arrival notice is not a release document. A release document is needed for receiving the cargo. Since the arrival notice is not the release document, shippers should understand that the purpose is to inform and nothing else. Arrival notices are usually included in the ocean container rate for shipping. If for some reason an arrival notice is not sent out, the carrier or freight forwarder is usually not liable. That is because the arrival notice is sent out as a courtesy to the consignee, who must be responsible for tracking the shipment.