Rex's Freight Notes
“We Shipped It Before”: What to Check Again
A previous shipment is useful evidence. The question is whether it describes the cargo and route you are booking today.
Written by Rex Xu·Shanghai, China
Shanghai Dangerous Goods & International Freight Forwarding Expert
Published
2 min read
Short Answer
Keep the previous shipping record, but compare it with the current product, packaging, documents, route and acceptance conditions. The aim is not to disregard experience. It is to establish which parts still apply before a booking relies on them.
Classification, packing and acceptance remain subject to the current edition of applicable regulations, carrier review and port requirements. Confirm before shipment.
Use the earlier shipment as a reference
A previous document set can help identify what was supplied and how the shipment was described. It gives the next review a starting point.
It is not automatic approval for another shipment. A new product version, packaging arrangement, carrier or routing may require the earlier assumptions to be checked again.
Ask what changed, not who was wrong
Send the latest supplier information alongside the earlier record. Flag changes in composition, battery configuration, packaging, quantities or destination instead of leaving the reviewer to discover them.
Also distinguish an unchanged product from unchanged transport conditions. Even when the goods are identical, the proposed service still needs current confirmation.
Make the next message actionable
A useful message is: “This is the previous shipment record; these are the current documents; these details have changed; this is the required arrival date.”
If a point is unresolved, name the person providing the answer and the expected date. Both FCL and LCL should be reviewed before dispatch; neither should rely on an old booking alone.
Questions I get asked about this
- Should I send old documents?
- Yes, as clearly dated reference material alongside the current shipment information.
- Must everything be redone?
- Not necessarily. First establish what is unchanged and what needs fresh confirmation.
- Does using the same carrier settle it?
- No. Confirm acceptance for the current cargo and proposed service.
- What if the supplier has not answered?
- Mark the detail as pending and assess its effect on the schedule before committing to a booking.
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UN Packaging Marks: What They Do Not Prove
Packing proposals, evidence and change notification before dispatch.
IMDG Code: From Rules to Shipment Planning
Rules, acceptance and destination responsibilities are separate checks.
Dangerous Goods Classification: Start with the Product
Product evidence, open questions and a clear handover.
Send me the shipment details
Cargo, UN number if you have it, quantity, packaging, destination and the required arrival date. If the classification is unsettled, say so and attach the MSDS.