Questions and Answers

Export of essential oils, mostly immortelle, basil and lavender, have experienced great expansion in recent years. Serbian essential oils have found their place in many pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies around the world. Although apparently not, essential oils are treated as dangerous substances in transport due due to their chemical composition and biological activity. The main reason why they fall into this category is the low flash point. Some of the oils can ignite even at a temperature of 50 °C. Otherwise, the term hazardous substances means all substances that have such characteristics that they can cause consequences harmful to health and the environment. This is most often due to irresponsible and / or unprofessional handling, packaging, storage or transport. Special attention should be paid to the transport of dangerous goods in terms of choosing transport means, technical and technological means of manipulation, environmental research, and especially the education of persons who come into contact with dangerous goods.Since the quantities of essential oils that are shipped are relatively small, and the product itself has a great value, they are most often transported by air. A prerequisite for a transport company is to be registered for this type of service, and that its staff is certified and trained to handle hazardous materials. In case of air transportation that should be – IATA DGR – International Air Transport Association Dangerous Goods regulation, which is the main document at the global level when it comes to the safe air transport of dangerous goods. At the same time, the manufacturer / consignor is obliged to provide the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) issued by an authorized laboratory after performing the necessary analyzes. It is a technical document that contains all the relevant information regarding the substance being transported and, in fact, defines the level of danger to humans and the environment. During a preparation of a shipment of essential oil for transport, special attention is paid to the packaging. Packaging instructions are included in the MSDS, and the procedure may only be performed by a certified person (the manufacturer or the agent representing him). The process of packaging hazardous materials is a very sensitive segment and requires great attention, because it directly affects the safety aspect of transport. On that occasion, it is necessary to choose quality packaging with pre-tested performance prescribed by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization). In addition to the packaging itself, adequate marking and declaration is also necessary. After finishing packaging process, we prepare transport documentation – AWB (Air waybill) and DG declaration, which is a clear instruction to all participants in the supply chain of hazardous substances. If this process seems complicated to you, the cargo-partner team will be happy to provide you with additional information and organize transport for you! Best Regards, cargo-partner | transport + iLogistics    

E-commerce has been a rapidly growing business segment for years, and COVID-19 has further accelerated this trend. Online retailers can save time and money by choosing a logistics partner who offers not just transport and warehousing, but an all-round service package for their order and fulfillment processes. This includes value added services such as cargo consolidation, order picking, packaging and labeling as well as parcel distribution.

Cargo consolidation means collecting goods from different shippers or at different time intervals and gathering them in one place. By consolidating multiple shipments efficiently, logistics providers can achieve an optimal utilization of cargo space and save time and costs in purchasing and pre-carriage.

Order picking consists of selecting and gathering all items required for a specific customer order – in the right type and quantity – and preparing them for transport. Automation and modern IT systems can greatly enhance picking speed and minimize error rates.

Packaging services can be provided either for transport of individual shipments or for storage purposes. This goes hand in hand with labeling – labels make it easy to identify the goods and provide information about the quantity in the package, the date of production, storage conditions, transport requirements and more.

Parcel distribution is perhaps one of the first aspects that come to mind when talking about e-commerce. A modern logistics provider should not only ensure fast and reliable parcel delivery, but also offer access to online services for shipment booking and tracking.

With cargo-partner’s supply chain management platform SPOT, online vendors can compare the rates of all available parcel service providers in a simple overview and book parcel shipments directly from the system. Invoices, shipment and return labels can also be printed directly from SPOT.

cargo-partner’s IT teams can easily connect any online shop to the cargo-partner warehouse for prompt order handling. Vendors can track their shipments in real time, and end customers receive regular status updates about when their shipment will arrive.

Want to find out more about cargo-partner’s end-to-end e-commerce solutions? Visit the cargo-partner website or contact us for detailed information!

Best regards,

cargo-partner | transport + iLogistics