• 17-04-2022

4 common shipping mistakes

Keep freight flowing and supply chains healthy by avoiding these 4 common negligences. Read this article and Get the explanations you need now!


We all have gone through practice and mistakes. At some moment, you just need to do things for the very first time. Shipping goods is the best example. To all shippers out there, this one is for you: 4 mistakes every first-time shipper should avoid.


These common shipping mistakes can prevent a business from fully realizing its potential. But these 4 common mistakes are effortlessly preventable and most take little more than dedication to eliminate. Let's dive into each mistake!

Inaccuracies on Bill of Lading

The bill of lading operates as the permit during payload and is included with the cargo. The transported goods that help provide identifying information, and is deemed a legal document sent to the shipper by the freight carrier. This includes:

  • The carrier’s name
  • Shipment date
  • The shipper and receiver’s names and addresses
  • Tracking numbers (if applicable)
  • A list, down to the item, of what’s being transported
  • The number of packages
  • The type of packaging
  • The cargo’s weight and volume
  • The cargo’s freight class
  • Any specific handling requirements
  • The freight’s origin and destination

The main cause for this is as a measure and deterrent against freight theft. Furthermore, if the information on the BOL is a uncomplicated error, then that gives the two parties the chance to make things right before the approval of a freight


It is really to the advantage of both the carrier and items’ owner to include a BOL and also really make a concerted effort for everything it contains to be right the first time, every time.

Limiting Shipping Options For Customers

Shipping is never a one-size-fits-all recommendation about customers’ requirements. So a freight shipping company can’t deliver just one kind of shipping without any nuance involved for the many different requirements for all of the different goods being shipped across the world. For example, it would be most comfortable for all involved if all products could be shipped via a standard 18-wheeler. For instance, here are several different types of freight shipping that people regularly require:

  • Expedited Shipping
  • Refrigerated Shipping
  • Oversized Shipping
  • Heavy Haul Shipping
  • Flatbed Shipping
  • HAZMAT Shipping

No Additional Freight Insurance

Usually, the cost of a full truckload provides some level of insurance. However, that represents basic coverage where the freight company would have to be found at fault for damage or loss. As the party having your freight shipped, it could be a double curse your freight has been damaged, so at the very least, you lose the time it took to buy or produce it; then if it’s not covered, you can also be out the money. You also have many choices in this area for how much coverage you think you need and where you purchase that additional insurance from. You can choose to go through the third-party logistics (3PL) company that is already providing the freight transport or go to another company.

  • Freight insurance claims differ from that of a regular auto insurance claims. While the latter can drag on for months, a freight insurance claim must be resolved within 1 month of it being filed.

Freight improperly packaged

It is the common word we always heard “costly” or “expensive”


Here discussion of the most common mistake that freight is not being packaged properly. This mistake can lead to a few things happening, none of which will be beneficial:

  • You’re wasting money on packaging by using an excessive amount
  • Your freight is more likely to be damaged
  • You’re able to fit less freight in a single load
  • As the commodity having your goods carted in this case, your purpose should be simple: to package your items as efficiently as possible to minimize failure while also keeping an eye on the cost of packaging. The most likely result of improperly packaging your load is that the seller or manufacturer of the products will be the ones on the hook for any harm, not the freight hauler.


    Make sure your shipment is properly packaged; this means boxes and packaging materials that are both size- and protection-appropriate for the commodity.