FAQ
What are your most effective services?
Answer
80 per cent of the deals that the company makes are done on “port+sea” terms. These terms involve risk management by optimising the handling of vessels in port and minimising the risks associated with freight level fluctuations.
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How does the volatility of the freight market affect the rates offered by the company?
Answer
Every quotation provided by us has a period of validity, during which the company assumes responsibility for fulfilling its obligations, irrespective of any changes in market conditions and freight levels. The company’s risks and market exposure are managed through a balanced assessment of seasonal freight fluctuations, regular monitoring of dry cargo market trends and evaluation of macroeconomic data.
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Does the company offer cargo insurance services?
Answer
We recommend that clients take out cargo insurance with Russian companies like Ingosstrakh or Rosgosstrakh, which have ample experience in maritime insurance.
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Does the company offer credit/delayed payment facilities for its services?
Answer
Financing for any shipment is considered on a case-by-case basis. The standard payment terms assume payment for the services offered after signing or releasing the bills of lading.
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Which documents do you need to arrange shipment of a cargo?
Answer
The business relationship with any client starts with presenting the client with a quotation for shipment of a cargo. This quotation usually has a validity period. The client’s acceptance of the quotation results in the signing of a cargo forwarding agreement or a booking note.
Sales staff will provide information about the documents needed for each individual case.
For regular clients the company can offer transportation services priced at a break-even level. In these cases, the company’s profit is generated from the commission paid by the sea carrier.
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Does container shipping form part of the company’s main activities?
Answer
Despite the popularity of container shipments and increasing cargo containerisation of imports into Russia, TMBCL continues to focus mainly on Ro-Ro and project cargo logistics. For a number of reasons, our services compete with container line operators.
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Does the company offer shipments ex river ports?
Answer
River shipments are not one of our main services, but we actively promote our chartering and freight brokerage service by representing a number of barge and “sea-river” vessel owners.
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Does the company own a terminal in Novorossiysk?
Answer
The company rents terminal facilities inside the port’s customs bonded area and separately rents facilities within the city that offer the required infrastructure and services, including lighting, terminal staff and security, and quality control.
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What does the expression “liner terms” mean when chartering a cargo?
Answer
“Liner terms” is a very popular requirement for logistics for brand-new vehicles and refers to services that include sea freight and loading/unloading costs at both the port of loading and the port of unloading.
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How successfully do Novorossiysk port terminals compete with ports in North-Western Russia?
Answer
Despite the considerably larger port capacities in North-Western Russia, Novorossiysk still has its customer base in container logistics and logistics for finished vehicles. The cost of land transportation within Russia plays a key role when assessing costs for any logistics chain, meaning that Novorossiysk is the usual choice for customers located in the Southern Federal District of Russia.
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Does Novorossiysk represent an alternative to the Azov sea ports in Southern Russia?
Answer
Each port in Southern Russia has its own specialisation, which came about after the break-up of the Soviet Union and the creation of new logistics routes. Novorossiysk has the only deep-sea ports in the South of Russian Federation, specialising in the handling of containers, grain and steel cargo for ships with drafts up to 12 metres.
The Azov sea ports (Rostov, Taganrog, Yeisk, Temryk, Kavkaz and Taman), together with the Crimean ports, compete with Novorossiysk in the so-called “sea-river” shipping in the “short sea” market. Usually shipments ex Sea of Azov ports are only considered for destinations no further than the Eastern Mediterranean.
Ice conditions from January to March have a negative impact on the competitiveness of Azov sea ports and can cause some cargo to be re-routed to Novorossiysk.
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Does the company offer rail freight and trucking services?
Answer
Generally, TMBCL does not offer trucking or rail freight services, choosing instead to recommend subcontractors with high service standards. For regular clients, however, we can offer a complete “door to door” service on request, including customs clearance.
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