What Is Maritime Logistics?

The global shipping industry is the backbone of both modern culture and economy. Without the rapid exchange of goods and ideas afforded by speedy and reliable shipping services, many now-ubiquitous products would have simply not been possible. Maritime transport logistics in Texas allows businesses to keep their goods moving across nations and borders smoothly and without delay.

Defining maritime transport logistics, however, can be tricky. It is traditionally defined as the means of transporting components as well as finished goods on a global scale. More broadly speaking, maritime transport logistics in Texas can be defined as anything that encompasses the processes of moving goods from one place to another utilizing cargo ships.

The steps of cargo shipping

At the heart of any maritime transportation strategy is the cargo ship. These versatile tools have been shaping the world’s economies for millennia, and will continue to do just that for the foreseeable future.

There are several steps that go into even the most basic of maritime transport logistics strategies. In a hypothetical scenario where a shoe store requests an additional 1,000 pairs of this year’s hottest footwear, the supply chain may look something like this:

• Placing an order: The shoe store will place an order with its distributor or corporate body for 1,000 new pairs of shoes. The distributor will work with the manufacturing facility, which is located in Vietnam, to arrange for the order’s transportation by a freight forwarder.
  
• Picking up the goods: After the order has been placed with the distributor, the freight forwarder will arrange for a 40-foot container to arrive at the factory and pick up the orders of several different shoe stores. The container will be sealed until it arrives at its final destination, unless it is inspected by a customs officer.
  
• Getting to the port: The container will most likely be trucked to the nearest shipping port. Prior to loading the container onto a ship, the freight forwarder must file documents and a ship’s manifest with officials in both the country of origin and the final destination.
  
• Docking: The ship carrying the container must request permission from the destination country prior to docking. Once it is docked, the ship will be unloaded, and the goods will go through customs, and may be inspected.
  
• Back on the truck: After clearing customs at the port, the distributor will pick up the container and load it again onto a truck. The truck will carry the container to the distribution center, where it will be unsealed and unloaded.
  
• Final delivery: After the container is unloaded, each order must be sorted and then sent out to the store that placed the original order. A small, localized delivery truck will most likely carry the order to the store.

Aztec Marine Agencies, Inc. is an independently owned, family-operated business specializing in maritime transport logistics in Texas. We specialize in planning and implementing the most efficient possible flow of goods to one of the world’s most dynamic and versatile markets. To learn more about the services that we offer, contact one of our helpful representatives today!

Categorised in: Maritime Transport Logistics