Earlier this spring a tragic fire broke out on the new megaship Maersk Honam, which killed 5 crewmembers and left the ship’s cargo destroyed, damaged or indefinitely stranded as the vessel sat smoldering nearly a month after it caught fire in the Arabian Sea.Unfortunately it should come as no surprise that there was a fire on board given how little carriers know about the cargo being loaded on to their ships. In fact, serious container ship fires are happening once every 60 days on average according to the TT Club, a freight insurance and risk management specialist. And yet, unlike the problem of overweight containers, which was addressed by the 2016 Safety of Life at Sea Verified Gross Mass Rule – which holds the shipper accountable for declaring container weights – little has been done to verify what is declared as content loaded into containers on these ships. This problem persists despite the high number of lives lost due to fires on board and the tens of millions of dollars of lost cargo and supply chain disruption occurring annually. Despite the rise in ship fires, deaths and mounting financial losses, governments and governing bodies have done little to curb this problem. According to the International Cargo Handling Coordination Association (ICHCA), the number of inspections performed on containers holding dangerous goods is about four per 100,000 packed containers that are transported. And unlike anti-terrorism container security programs, there is very little additional data screening behind the relatively few actual inspections. Something needs to change. As ships get bigger and more cargo is moved, the risk for fire and other disasters increases exponentially. As shippers, we need a more transparent system in order for vessels to achieve greater certainty in what is being loaded. As an industry, we need to confront this issue head on. Merco International has the experience, logistics infrastructure and global network to move your freight across towns, across countries and across continents. Whether you need to deliver dangerous goods such as fireworks for a worldwide music tour, or bulk commodities and specialty items, contact Merco International at 305-471-9009 or visit mercointernational.com for an absolutely free consultation to learn more about your options.
If you’re looking to move cargo overseas but are confused or overwhelmed about how to manage that process, you need to consider hiring a freight forwarding company. We would of course love for you to consider hiring our freight forwarding company Merco International, but whomever you choose, use these tips below in order to make the best choice possible.
When you’re ready to take your company to the next level, international expansion may be a logical next step to take. And while you may be tempted to simply copy and paste your existing marketing tactics, it can set you back in the long-term
The most successful brands today have become global icons because of their unique ability to move product anywhere in the world. In many cases, the transportation of these goods is handled by freight forwarders such as ourselves at Merco International. Not only can a great freight forwarding company move cargo from one country to another, they can also help arrange the proper storage, packing and local distribution of goods depending upon a client’s needs.
The most successful brands today have become global icons because of their unique ability to move product anywhere in the world. In many cases, the transportation of these goods is handled by freight forwarders such as ourselves at Merco International. Not only can a great freight forwarding company move cargo from one country to another, they can also help arrange the proper storage, packing and local distribution of goods depending upon a client’s needs.
Earlier this spring a tragic fire broke out on the new megaship Maersk Honam, which killed 5 crewmembers and left the ship’s cargo destroyed, damaged or indefinitely stranded as the vessel sat smoldering nearly a month after it caught fire in the Arabian Sea.Unfortunately it should come as no surprise that there was a fire on board given how little carriers know about the cargo being loaded on to their ships. In fact, serious container ship fires are happening once every 60 days on average according to the TT Club, a freight insurance and risk management specialist.
When you need to move cargo around the globe, a decision needs to be made whether to ship those goods via Ocean or Air Freight. A lot of thought goes into that decision-making process because each mode of transportation has its merits, but there are a certain few key factors to consider before committing one way or the other.
To understand which one to choose, it’s important that you can evaluate the difference between Multimodal and Intermodal Shipping. Multimodal Shipping is typically known as combined transport by at least two different means of transportation (by air, ocean and road and rail for example) by a carrier that executes everything under a single contract.
It’s probably the number one question we get asked all the time – “What’s the best rate you can get us?” But before we can ever give a price, there are couple things we need to know in order to provide the most accurate quote possible.What is the commodity?
It’s probably the number one question we get asked all the time – “What’s the best rate you can get us?” But before we can ever give a price, there are couple things we need to know in order to provide the most accurate quote possible.What is the commodity?
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Merco International is a freight forwarding and logistics company, with more than 30 years of experience whose specialty is moving delicate cargo with priority for the goods that require extreme care.
11800 N.W. 102 nd Road - Medley, FL 33178 - Suite # 1
+1 (305) 471-9009
Mon — Fri: 9AM — 5PM
11800 N.W. 102 nd Road - Medley, FL 33178 - Suite # 1
+1 (305) 218-6091
Mon — Fri: 8AM — 4PM