Lines to verify on the notice
Read the notice against your own paperwork the day it arrives. A container number that differs from the packing list, a final place of delivery that is wrong, or charges that do not match the quote are far easier to fix before discharge than at the terminal gate. Note the release conditions too, since they decide whether originals, payment or both must come first.
- B/L number, and whether it is the master or house bill
- Containers listed against the packing list
- Vessel, voyage, ETA and discharge port or terminal
- Charges due, the payee and accepted payment methods
Carrier notice and agent notice
On an NVOCC shipment, two notices usually exist. The carrier sends one to the MBL consignee, typically the NVOCC's destination agent, and the agent sends its own to the importer under the house bill. Numbers and charges can differ between them. Many carriers also describe the notice as a courtesy, meaning a missing notice does not change free time or the charges that accrue.
A snapshot that can go out of date
The ETA on an arrival notice is the carrier's estimate on the day it was sent. Berth delays, schedule changes and transshipment problems can move the date afterward, and a revised notice may or may not follow. CargoScope shows the carrier's latest ETA and milestones for a saved shipment, which helps when the date on an arrival notice no longer holds. Plan the dray around the latest discharge and availability events, not the notice.
Example
Four days before the vessel reaches Long Beach, an importer's broker receives an arrival notice for CMAU7029150 showing the ETA, the discharge terminal and ocean freight still owed under collect terms.
Track a container
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Questions
What does Arrival Notice mean?
An arrival notice is the message a carrier or NVOCC sends the consignee and notify party ahead of a shipment's arrival at destination. It typically lists the vessel and ETA, the B/L and container numbers, the charges due and what release requires.
Who sends the arrival notice?
Whoever issued the bill the consignee holds: the carrier for its own B/L, or the NVOCC or its destination agent for a house bill.
Does an arrival notice mean the container can be picked up?
No. It usually arrives before discharge. Pickup depends on discharge, the carrier's and customs releases, and the terminal showing the container as available.