In Middle East logistics, it is a standard industry practice for freight forwarders to weigh goods upon warehousing, which serves as a critical basis for freight calculation, space allocation and customs declaration.
There are three core purposes of weighing upon warehousing:
- Accurate Billing: Mainstream channels in the Middle East charge freight based on the greater of actual weight or volumetric weight. Warehousing weighing avoids fee disputes caused by discrepancies between the seller's declared weight and the actual weight.
- Compliance Verification: Middle East customs levies duties and VAT based on gross weight. The weight data from the freight forwarder must be consistent with customs declaration documents; otherwise, it may lead to customs clearance delays or penalties.
- Transportation Safety: Weighing helps identify overweight and oversized goods, ensuring reasonable space allocation for air or sea transportation and reducing transport risks.
In practice, freight forwarders use professional equipment to measure the gross weight (including packaging) and volume upon warehousing. The data is recorded in the system and cross-checked with the seller's declaration. The seller will be notified for confirmation if the difference exceeds the threshold.For FCL (Full Container Load) goods sealed by the factory, the weight at the time of sealing is generally adopted by the freight forwarder. For LCL (Less than Container Load) goods, each shipment must be weighed individually in the forwarder's warehouse to ensure compliance with the combined container weight.
In summary, weighing upon warehousing is an essential step in Middle East logistics. It is not only the foundation for the freight forwarder's service performance but also crucial for sellers to avoid freight disputes and ensure smooth customs clearance.
Ontask Express focuses on the Saudi special line, providing customers with efficient and reliable Saudi cargo, with a focus on the Middle East region. With overseas warehouses in Jeddah and Riyadh, along with a self-managed Chinese delivery team, we empower Chinese products to go global and benefit all humanity!