FOCUS 1. Read and discuss the following leads-in and letters.
LEAD-IN 1
PACKING
The buyer has a right to expect that his goods will reach him in perfect condition, and the seller has to pack them in such a way that they will do so. New packing materials are being developed which are light and strong, and new methods being found to ensure the safe transport of goods. Many export firms employ a specialist export packer or forwarding agent to do their packing for them.
The general plan in all packing is to make the goods secure for the kind of journey they have to make, but to keep the package as small and light as possible. Transport costs on land usually depend on the weight, but on the sea the size of the package is also important.
Packing containers
A bag is generally made of paper, linen, canvas, rubber or plastic.
A sack is a larger, stronger version of a bag, usually made of jute.
A carton is made of light but strong cardboard, or fibreboard, it has double lids and bottoms which are fixed together. Sometimes several cartons are made up into a single package, held by metal bands.
A box is stronger than a carton, made of wood, cardboard or metal, sometimes with a folding (hinged) lid.
A case is a strong container made of wood. For extra strength, cases may have battens fixed to their tops, bottoms and sides. When thin wood is used, metal bands or wires will be passed around the case. Cases are often lined with various materials to prevent damage by water, air, etc.
A crate is like a case, but it is not fully enclosed. It has a bottom and a frame, and is sometimes open at the top. Machinery packed in crates needs a special bottom, called a skid, to facilitate handling.
A container is a very large, robust, metal construction, varying in length from about ten to about forty feet (40'). It is normally sealed at the consignor’s factory and transported unopened until it reaches its destination. Containers are carried by rail, road and by ship. They may be watertight and airtight, and the goods sent in them cannot be lost or stolen. Containers are a recent development and they can make transportation very economical.
Containers can hold most cargoes including liquids, and are transported by lorries and trains to ports where they are loaded on to container vessels and shipped. Because of their sealing to prevent pilfering they are safe, and goods are also protected against constant handling. They are versatile, loading top, front, or side, and can reduce a ship’s laytime by 60-70 per cent. Small parcels from different shippers can be grouped together (consolidation) at a depot if they are for the same destination, and special groupage rates are offered to consignees.
Container companies use either combined transport bills of lading, or waybills, but also the usual documents in shipping including the bill of lading. If a combined transport B/L is used, the place of acceptance and place of delivery may be covered, which means the company accepts door-to-door responsibility, which offers more extensive cover than the bill of lading.
A drum is a cylindrical container for liquids and powders, usually made of metal or plastic, but sometimes wood or strong cardboard.
A barrel is a wooden drum. Hoops are used to strengthen barrels. There are various sizes of barrels, and some are known as casks, hogsheads and kegs.
A bale is a package of soft goods (usually textiles) wrapped in protective material.
A tin/can is a small metal container which paint, oil and a variety of foodstuffs are packed in.
A carboy is a glass container, used for chemicals, protected in a padded metal or wicker cage.
Miscellaneous goods may be packed in a bundlewithout a container.
ENQUIRY TO A CONTAINER COMPANY
OAO STALTRANSIT
Krivokolenny 9 Moscow Russia
Our ref. Your ref.
Super Containers Ltd. 02 May 20__
Thomas Heftyesgate 12
0245 Oslo, 2
Norway
Dear Sirs,
We are a large steel company and we wish to export a consignment of steel tubing, approximate weight 50 tonnes, and lengths varying from 3 to 5 metres.
This consignment is destined for RhurGold Gmbh, Hamburg. We would like you to pick up the load, transport it to Murmansk from Petrozavodsk, and then deliver it to its destination in Germany at the beginning of June.
Please let us have details of your sailings and freight charges. We can promise you regular shipments if we find the quoted rate competitive.
Yours faithfully,
AlKardashov
Alexey Kardashov
Export Department
