What is a Pre-Alert in Shipping?

Shipping cargo requires a good amount of documentation and preparation, especially for shipments that
have a short transit time. In order to ensure that the import process at destination goes as smoothly and
efficiently as possible, a pre-alert is sent.

A pre-alert is a shipment notice sent by the freight forwarder at origin to the freight forwarder or
customs broker at destination, so that they can prepare for the import clearance and delivery
arrangements in advance. It signifies that the shipment has already been loaded and also indicates the
estimated arrival along with other important shipment information.

What Shipment Information is Found on a Pre-Alert?

A pre-alert in shipping can have many purposes. For the importer or the consignee, the pre-alert is used
for advanced planning and distribution. For the freight forwarder, it’s primarily used for submission of
the inward foreign manifest and the on-carriage.

Lastly, for the customs broker, the pre-alert is used as a document to prepare import customs clearance
and in some countries it’s even used to pre-declare shipments before they arrive. Here’s a list of
shipment details that are typically found on a pre-alert.

Shipper – The sender/seller/exporter of the goods.

Consignee – The receiver/buyer/importer of the goods. Full contact details are indicated on the pre-alert
so that brokers and freight forwarders know the delivery address.

MBL/Master AWB Number – The pre-alert will also feature the MBL number for ocean freight shipments
or the Master AWB for air freight shipments.

HBL/House AWB Number – It may also contain a freight forwarder’s HBL number for sea freight
shipments or House AWB number for airfreight shipments.

Vessel/Flight Information – The name of the vessel/airline on which the cargo or containers are loaded.

Cargo Information – Included here is a brief description of the goods, the type of packaging, number of
items, the weight, the cubage or measurement of the goods and information such as shipping or
handling instructions. It can also be the source of information if special trucks or trailers need to be used
for on-carriage.

Container Number – The number of the container, in which the goods were loaded into. This is only
applicable for sea freight shipments.

Packing List – A detailed list of all the items contained in this shipment. This should include the name,
weight and quantity of the goods.

Invoice – Shows a detailed list of the cargo value for each item and in total. This is the document that
customs authorities use to determine the applicable duties and taxes.

Estimated Arrival (ETA) – The estimated arrival of the vessel or aircraft at the port of discharge or
destination airport. Used for various tasks such as manifest sending, special equipment allocation, or
shipment planning.
Estimated/Actual Departure (ETD/ATD) – The estimated and actual departure date of a vessel or aircraft.
This is used to indicate the delay between estimated and actual departure dates and to confirm when
the vessel or aircraft has departed.

Port of Loading/Origin Airport – The sea port or airport where the shipment is loaded.

Port of Discharge/Destination Airport – The sea port or airport where the shipment is going to arrive.

Incoterm – The Incoterm is often indicated, as a reference for freight forwarders to understand the
responsibility and handover of the shipment.

MSDS – Required when shipping dangerous goods.

Additional Forms – Any other relevant shipping forms (E.g. COO, CoA, Form D, etc.) is included in the
pre-alert and relayed to the import broker and freight forwarder at destination.

Where is the Pre-Alert Sent to?

Once the exporting agent or freight forwarder has delivered the cargo to the port, completed the export
declarations and the carrier has loaded the containers on the vessel (or the pallet into the aircraft), the
carrier or NVOCC sends pre-alert to the shipper and its agents at destination.

This includes the House Bill of Lading, Master Bill of Lading, invoice, packing list, additional
documentation and relevant shipping information. Typically, the pre-alert is sent to the ‘Notify Party’ in
the Bill of Lading, which can be one or even multiple parties.

The notify party is most commonly the destination freight forwarder and/or customs broker.
Occasionally, the pre-alert is also sent to the consignee, so that they are aware of the shipment’s arrival
and can plan accordingly.

Pre-Alert Template & Sample

Below is an example of a pre-alert that is issued by a freight forwarder at the destination.

Contact Details

Agents Crafty Freight Forwarding Inc.

PIC John Smith

Attention import@craftyfreight.com

Shipment Details

Shipper Name Amazing Exports Inc.

Shipper Address 27 Parkes RoadMelbourne, Victoria, 3004

Consignee Name Fresh Shipment Inc.

Consignee Address 2192 Rainbow Road Los Angeles, California, 90017

Master BL Number 2020980680

House BL Number PFHBL145793

ETD: July 1, 2021

ETA: August 9, 2021

Port of Origin Melbourne, Australia

Port of Discharge Los Angeles, USA

Container Number / Seal OOLU 9071234 / 44244

Vessel Name OOCL Hong Kong v36e

Cargo Description 1 x 40RF’ STC Blue Cheese and King Island Parmesan

Instructions 1) Collect Ocean Freight as Indicated in Debit Note

2) Your share is $100.00 / 40’ container

3) Remit less profit share within agreed payment period

4) Collect OBL from consignee before release.

TDR

The terminal departure report is usually received as an EDIFACT message or an e-mail attachment
by the vessel operator within 48 hours of leaving the port. TDRs can be automatically updated to
the system using electronic data interchange (EDI), uploaded as a file from a local system, or
created manually (data entry)