A manifest is a document that includes a variety of details about the goods to be shipped. They are often used by ocean-going carriers to track and monitor their cargo. In the past, they were primarily paper documents. However, in recent years, these documents have transitioned to digital formats.
Manifests have been around for hundreds of years. Throughout that time, they have served a variety of functions, and they can still be useful today. From archaeology to transportation services, manifests have been used in various ways.
Manifests are usually associated with parcel shipping, but their function extends far beyond. Shipping manifests can be exchanged between liner agents, and they may also be used to serve regulatory and commercial purposes. For example, if a company is shipping a container of beer from New York to California, the manifest is a valuable tool for determining the proper method of shipment.
While the manifest can be complex, there are actually several different types. There Manifest Shipping is the simple manifest, the e-Manifest, and the cargo manifest. These documents are a bit more complicated, but they are still useful in their own right. The e-Manifest is particularly important since it allows the carrier to transmit the shipment’s information into the system before the actual delivery is made.
On the other hand, the cargo manifest is a massive compilation of paper documents. As a result, it’s best to take measures to avoid confusion. Similarly, training personnel who inspect manifests is an essential step. If they aren’t properly equipped, the mistakenly-translated details can cause a major mishap.
One of the more useful features of the e-Manifest is that it can be customized to meet the needs of the specific shipping carrier. Depending on the circumstances, this can mean a big improvement in efficiency and security.
For example, you could decide to only use e-Manifest to send the information about your products to the carrier. This could allow you to avoid the cost of sending the information via paper forms. You can also customize the e-Manifest to include specific details about your products, such as special handling conditions or the location of the delivery address. Alternatively, you could simply use the e-Manifest as a guide to help you select the most appropriate carrier.
It’s true, the e-Manifest has its own shortcomings. First, the shipping provider must provide a “Ready to Ship” status for the shipment. This can be done manually, but it can be done automatically depending on the company’s requirements. Another drawback is that the e-Manifest is not always available at the time of pickup. Also, the e-Manifest can be a bit clunky, requiring a bit of patience.
Of course, there are other advantages to the e-Manifest. One of the perks is that the e-Manifest can be signed using an electronic signature. Previously, the only way to sign the e-Manifest was to print out a paper copy of the form and affix it to the shipment. Moreover, the e-Manifest can be accessed from the EPA’s website. Lastly, e-Manifest’s multi-carrier capability means that you can ship your product to multiple destinations. Rather than having to ship it to the same place every time, you can choose to ship it to different locations in a single batch.