Plan capacity backwards from the cargo-ready date

Peak season problems are usually calendar problems. Space is tightest in the two to three weeks before factory holidays, and the cargo-ready date moves more often than the sailing schedule does.

A working timeline

Four weeks out, confirm the production finish date and the packing specification. Three weeks out, reserve space against that date. Two weeks out, lock the document set. One week out, confirm the trucking appointment and the terminal cut-off.

For LCL, add the consolidation cut-off, which normally falls before the vessel cut-off.

• T-4 weeks: production date and carton dimensions confirmed
• T-3 weeks: FCL space reserved or LCL consolidation booked
• T-2 weeks: invoice, packing list and declaration data checked
• T-1 week: trucking, terminal cut-off and document release

Two contingencies worth pricing early

A partial air freight option for the launch-critical SKUs, and a second sailing or carrier for the balance. Pricing these before the rush is cheaper than buying emergency space in the final week.

What we ask from you

A realistic cargo-ready date, the split between must-arrive and flexible stock, and the destination receiving deadline. With those three facts we can build a routed plan instead of a single rate.