The requirements when picking up your ocean cargo largely depend on the type of ocean cargo: a Full Container Load (FCL) or a Less than Container Load (LCL).
Picking Up FCL Ocean Cargo
To pick up FCL Ocean Cargo, you’ll need to pay your freight payment. Once paid, the ocean carrier will send their release over to the terminal. Your customs release will also need to be cleared.
Then, the terminal will update their system to show that all releases has been cleared. Original Bill Lading may or may not be needed depending on your shipment terms.
Picking Up LCL Ocean Cargo
To pick up LCL Ocean, you’ll need to pay a warehouse fee once your shipment is available at a Container Freight Station (CFS) warehouse.
The carrier sending you the arrival notice for the shipment will also have fees that will need to be paid. Once these fees are paid, the carrier can send a release order over to the CFS warehouse.
Lastly, your customs release will need to be cleared before the CFS warehouse can release your shipment. If there is any Original Bill Lading, the documents will need to be sent to the correct handling party for release.