Questions before shipping?

The route (origin and destination at city or port level), what the goods are, how they are packed, the gross weight and the size of each package, and the date the cargo is ready. Add the agreed Incoterm if you have one. The more of these you give in the first message, the fewer follow-up questions you will get before a quotation can be prepared.

A quotation lists its items one by one and states its scope. Read it against your trade term: origin pickup, export clearance, the main leg, destination handling, import clearance and delivery are separate steps, and a quotation may include some of them and leave others to another party. If a step is not written, ask whether it is in or out.

Each quotation states its own validity date. Carrier and airline rates, surcharges and exchange rates can change, so a quotation is a statement for that date and that cargo. If the cargo, route or quantity changes, ask for the quotation to be reviewed rather than assuming the earlier figures still apply.

For air freight the charge usually follows the greater of the actual gross weight and the volumetric weight, which is calculated from the package dimensions with a divisor set by the carrier. A light but bulky shipment can therefore be charged on its volume. Send exact package dimensions so the basis can be stated in the quotation.

The shipper is responsible for packing that suits the goods and the journey. We can tell you what a mode of transport or a handling step usually requires and flag a packing that looks unsuitable, but suitability depends on the cargo itself. Describe the packing in the request and send photographs if the goods are fragile, heavy or unusual in shape.

Usually a commercial invoice, a packing list, the transport document and the importer or exporter identity details. Some goods also need permits or certificates. Which ones apply depends on the product and the HS classification, which the authorities determine. Send the documents you have and we will tell you what looks inconsistent or missing before the shipment arrives.

It depends on the product, its composition and the carrier or airline that would carry it. Tell us early, with the safety data sheet and the packaging details. An inquiry is not an acceptance: the operator must accept the cargo, and shipping dangerous goods requires people trained for it. We will say plainly if a product needs a different arrangement.

Yes, state the window you need in the request together with the access at each address: dock or ground level, vehicle size limits and receiving hours. A window is confirmed in the quotation or the booking, not assumed from the request. Traffic, weather and receiving-site delays are outside any forwarder’s control, so ask what happens if a window is missed.

It records the handover: who received the goods, when, in what condition and with which exceptions, such as a quantity difference or visible damage. It can carry a signature, photographs and a timestamp. It is a handover record, not proof that an invoice was paid, and it does not by itself settle a claim.

The quotation reaches you by email with an approval link. Approving it records your acceptance of the stated scope and terms. VORA then validates the quotation on its side, and that is a separate step: approval by the customer and validation by VORA are recorded separately, and you receive an email for each.

It accompanies the invoice and lists what is to be paid and how. It is issued before payment and does not confirm that any money has been received. Keep it with the invoice for your payment records.

After VORA has checked the payment against its records and confirmed it. The official payment receipt is issued at that point and sent to you by email. A transfer slip alone is not a confirmation, and a Pre-Payment Receipt is not one either.

Documents issued from the VORA system carry a QR code and a verification link. Opening it shows the document number, its type and its current status. If what the page shows does not match what you were given, write to us before acting on the document.