What do you understand by the term Shipping Mark? I remember the very first time I came across this term I was quite lost and thought it was probably Cantonese.

It is something everyone dealing in international commerce will find familiar.

In simple terms, a shipping mark is an inscription placed on the container of a good, which draws its derivation from the English word ‘mark’. In overseas purchases ‘shipment mark’ is used to act as a unit difference in diverse batches of the product and reduce chances of wrong. In principle, there are two kinds of marks: main marks and side marks.

Also, there is a remarkable concordance of shipping marks consisting of four parts: the first part contains the abbreviation, the English name of the consignee; the second one is the reference number, there are several variations of this: it is usually the letter of credit number, the contract number, and the invoice number; the third one is the piece number and the butt number; while the fourth one includes some items are being sent as well as the port city and country where these items are to be sent.

So, what is the reason for using a shipping mark? To shippers and manufacturers, such marks or labels shorten work management, statistics, and estimation of load weight and the amount necessary for transportation, thus arranging delivery of goods more efficiently, and preventing mistakes. For regulatory bodies, (e.g. commodity inspection, customs) inspection & release of goods could be done in batches, therefore it enhances efficiency in operations. For carriers, from birth to the depot till leaving the depot, from war packing – dispatch – transshipment – air sea based transport to the port of destination, they are also able to utilize easily shipping mark instructions to determine and supply what is needed at each stage and this is very fast. This is especially important when mixed cargo is loaded. However, if the shipping mark is written enough, the message in the content of a consignment would only need the outer box and there may be no need to open the box as it would only lead to a delay and the consignment would be ready and fast into the cycle. However, consignees will on the other hand turn to the side marking where little information is required and a lot understood.

A shipping mark is extremely important in the management of logistics movement in international shipping, without the shipping marks the goods cannot be normally shipped.