Door to door shipping is what it says it is: a shipment which is handled from the door of the exporter through to the door of the importer. There are a few ways in which this can be arranged and it all boils down to the Incoterm that has been agreed on the purchase of the goods.
Export Door to Door Shipping
To keep things simple lets look at it from the UK exporter’s perspective. Typically the Incoterm which would mean a UK exporter would need to arrange door-to-door shipping would be one of the terms starting with ‘D’: Delivered at Place (DAP), Delivered at Place Unloaded (DPU) or Delivered Duty Paid (DDP).
D Group Incoterms
Delivered at Place simply is delivered to an agreed location, customs clearance and local taxes and duties are handled by the buyer (or importer). Delivered at Place Unloaded is what it sounds like, delivered to the agreed place where the cost and risk of unloading is borne by the seller (in this instance the UK exporter). Delivered Duty Paid is where the seller also organises and pays for the local import customs clearance, and any duties and taxes.
Freight Forwarding Door to Door
It might sound complex, but that is why you appoint a freight forwarder to handle it for you. They know Incoterms inside out, and a well connected one will be able to handle the full door-to-door shipment for you. Ensure that when you are appointing a freight forwarder to handle your door-to-door shipping, that they have good connections round the world. Mercator is a founding member of the global freight forwarding network MarcoPoloLine. As a result of our longstanding membership and reputation within the network, we have good relationships with the other members (who are all vetted upon joining and appraised regularly to ensure they are upholding excellent standards).
Where we Offer Door-to-Door
Mercator’s export team handle lots of different kinds of commercial cargo using all modes of transport. We regularly complete door-to-door shipping for our export (and import) customers. Take a look at our “Where we Ship” page to read about our country specific connections.
If you would like to discuss your door-to-door shipment with one of our team, or request a quote, please call our office on (+44) 02392 756 575, email sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk, or complete the form below, we will be in touch shortly.
