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What Is An Arrival Notice: Example And Form

Ngoc Lee
What Is An Arrival Notice: Example And Form
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It is critical that all goods and documents be handled on time since this might cause delays and higher expenses. The Arrival Notice also called a Cargo Arrival Notice is a crucial document to ease this at the destination. Using a freight arrival notice to alert related parties of the carrier’s arrival can help to expedite the prompt unloading of the goods, the claim of the items by authorized parties, and the carrier’s ability to take on further freight for an outward voyage.

what-is-an-arrival-notice
what is an arrival notice

 Let’s discover what an arrival notice is and related information about this notification to understand its importance.

What Does Arrival Notice Mean?

A shipping document provided by a carrier announcing that a shipment has arrived or will arrive at a given address is known as an Arrival Notice. Notice of arrival is also a document for the consignee to use as a basis to pick up the goods. 

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Arrival Notices are prevalent in both sea and air freight transit modes and are sent by the majority of cargo airlines and ocean companies.

Arrival-Notice-form-example
Arrival Notice form example

What Information Is On An Arrival Notice?

The arrival notification contains information about the arriving cargo that corresponds with the marine freight bill of lading for international shipment. It should also include preliminary instructions for recovering imported products, destination charges associated with cargo releases, and a list of shipping papers required to obtain the release. x

Arrival-notice-content
Arrival notice content

Other information, like the vessel name, the agency in charge of the vessel, and whether the vessel will need to load or unload at more than one berth may be asked on the arrival notification. This sort of information assists the port in welcoming the vessel on schedule and in designating one or more berths to handle the procedures of loading and unloading. 

👉 Read More: Advanced Shipping Notice (ASN): Definition, Example and Benefits 

The tables below will list all the information that can have on the arrival notice.

InformationDescription
Shipper DetailsIt includes the name, location, and contact information of the exporters. Most of the time, the exporters are also the sellers.
Consignee DetailsIn contrast to the shipper details, the consignee details contain the name, location, and contact information of the importers or the buyers.
Notify Party DetailsIt is the consignee’s alternate contact. The consignee may also choose a customs broker or freight forwarder. This section also includes the notified party’s name, location, and contact information.
BL, SWB, or AWB NumberIt is the contract of the carriage's unique identifying number, such as air waybill, sea waybill, or bill of lading. The carrier normally assigns this number.
Vessel/Flight InformationIt is the name of the ship or plane carrying the cargo, and also the journey or flight number.
Cargo InformationIt refers to a broad description of the items’ kind and number as disclosed by the shipper.
Container or ULD NumberIt is the container number that is used in sea freight shipping or the ULD number that is used in air freight shipping.
Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA)It shows the estimated arrival date of the cargo at the discharging port or terminal airport.
Actual Time of Arrival (ATA)It means the time the cargo arrived at the discharging port or the time the plane arrived at the destination airport.
Port of Loading / Origin AirportThis is the original place where the goods were loaded.
Port of Discharge / Destination AirportThe place where the goods will be discharged.
Place of ReceiptThe location where the goods were accepted by the transporter. This location might be as same as the loading port or the original airport.
Place of DeliveryThis is the final destination of the package. Typically, this is the final port, airport, or ultimately delivery site at the consignee’s facility.
Cargo Pickup LocationThe location where products may be picked up following import clearing customs. This is often the container terminal for maritime freight or the airport terminal for air freight.
Freight TermsThe agreed-upon freight terms or incoterms between both the shipper and consignee. This generally indicates whether the conditions are freight collection or freight prepayment.
Freight ChargesThe payment owed to the carrier for the shipment of goods by sea or air.
List of information that can be found in an arrival notice

Where Is The Arrival Notice Delivered?

Arrival notifications are sent by both airlines and freight forwarders. If the carrier is also a freight forwarder, the arrival notification will be sent from the carrier to the freight forwarder, who then sends it to the receivers. 

If you are negotiating with a shipment line directly, the shipping company will send an arrival note to the receivers. The arrival notification is usually issued to both the notified party and the consignee. 

In the notify party field, the consignee names one or more of their suppliers so that they may begin the destination operations when the arrival notice is received. Most of these suppliers are truckers, freight forwarders, or customs brokers.

What Is The Importance Of The Arrival Notice?

The-importance-of-arrival-notice
The importance of arrival notice

The arrival notice is a critical shipping document because it reveals whether or not items have arrived. This allows the consignee's vendors to take part in destination operations such as container collection and clear customs. 

One more thing to notice is that on a bill of lading or in the track-and-trace systems, the expected time of arrival is not always accurate since weather, port congestion, or other factors impacting cargo arrival may cause vessels to be postponed. 

As a result, the arrival notice is a critical document since it serves as a more accurate indication of a shipment’s arrival at the discharge port or destination airport. The following are essential factors why an arrival notification is needed.

Consignee

  • It notifies the consignee of a more precise arrival time, allowing them to arrange for cargo receipt.
  • They can also properly plan resources and prepare equipment.
  • It enables them to notify the consignee’s customers about the arrival of the items and when they may expect delivery if they are not the final customer.
  • It also helps them to allocate and prepare to begin the payment processes for destination costs.

Customs Brokers

  • It enables the customs broker to submit the import entry and obtain the necessary permissions to comply with local legislation.
  • It can save time because the full procedure may take many days.

Truckers

  • It allows the trucker to assign a prime mover, driver, and trailer ahead of time.
  • They might plan to deliver the item in accordance with the consignee’s reception schedule.

How To Send Arrival Notice?

How-is-an-arrival-notice-sent
How is an arrival notice sent?

There is no set format for an arrival note, and not all carriers use the same format. Whereas the specifies may vary, they all include the same type of content. The most critical feature is that your carrier sends an arrival notification to all parties involved. Bigger airlines, freight companies, and shipping companies typically employ system-based arrival notifications that are generated automatically by their transport management system (TMS). 

While smaller airlines, shipping companies, and freight forwarders may issue arrival notices manually using a templated form. In some cases, however, the arrival notification must be made in advance so that the port can assign berth spaces to approach goods. 

In this situation, the document is known as advance notice of arrival (ANOA), and it will request information about the vessel itself, including size and the cargo transported type.

Is An Arrival Notice Required?

Is-arrival-notice-mandatory
Is arrival notice mandatory?

Although arrival notices are not required by law, like some other shipping documentation, air, and sea carriers are urged to provide them since they can save an amount of time and money for all parties at the destination.

Example And Template Of An Arrival Notice

The specific structure of an arrival notice will be determined by the restrictions imposed by the port where the goods are received, as well as any rules or regulations that the port must follow. For your convenience, an arrival notice sample is provided below. It includes sample data to help you imagine what it looks like.

Contact Details

AgentsICB Logistics LLC
PICHenry Smith
Attention[email protected]
Contact details form example

Shipment Details

Shipper Name & AddressFresh Seafood Inc./ 108 Tran Phu Street, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 700000
Consignee Name & AddressAsia Seafood / 184 Brown Street, Seattle, Washington, USA
Notify Part & AddressCustom Freight Brokers Inc. 15 Green Street, Seattle, Washington
MBL/HBL NumberAFPO8953765 / VNHUT109382443
Vessel/Flight InformationVN654
Cargo Information (description, quantity, etc.)500 Packages of fresh seafood
Place of ReceiptHo Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Port of LoadingNha Trang, Vietnam
Port of DischargePort of Seattle
ETAJune 13, 2022 1900H
ATAJune 14, 2022 0300H
IncotermsFOB
Freight ChargesPayment as arranged
Container NumberVNSA20465823
Weight20 KGS
Demurrage/ Detention5 days combined
Shipment details form example

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Because the rules and regulations of every country that apply are different, learning how arrival notice is organized at each port and whether advance notices are necessary can assist in preparing for claiming and shipping goods from the port. You've found this article so helpful? Let's forget to follow our Fanpage and Efex to get many interesting articles!

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Ngoc LeeNgoc Lee is an Content Creator Manager at EFEX. She wields her long-term expertise in Logistics and Supply Chain, harnessing her top-notch writing and research skills to bring incredibly valuable content. Whether you're a small startup or a well-established enterprise, Ngoc Lee is here to equip you with the essential knowledge of e-commerce, fulfillment, and all things business-related.