Booking · pdf-lib

Booking form filler

Build a booking request PDF in the Sourzi format. Fill shipper, consignee, notify party, cargo, container, origin and destination ports, target ETD, Incoterm. Email the PDF to the freight forwarder; expect a booking confirmation with carrier slot number within 1 to 3 business days.

Last updated 2026-05-08. Math runs in your browser, no data leaves your computer.

General guidance only, not legal or professional engineering advice. Verify against the cited primary sources (IMDG, REACH, ChAFTA, RCEP, Customs Tariff Act, supplier SDS, etc.) before committing to a shipment, declaration, or contract. Sourzi assumes no liability for outcomes based on these calculators.

A booking request is the document the freight forwarder uses to pull a vessel slot from the carrier. The fields below cover the eight core items most forwarders need; missing any of them triggers a follow-up email and delays the booking by half a day.

Parties

Shipper (seller)

Consignee (buyer)

Notify party

Who the carrier contacts at destination. Often the buyer customs broker.

Cargo

Cargo description

HS code

Container type

Container quantity

DG class (if applicable)

IMDG class for dangerous goods cargo. Leave blank for non-DG.

Estimated gross weight (kg)

Estimated net weight (kg)

Routing

Origin port

Destination port

Target ETD or sailing week

Incoterm

Special handling / notes

Document header

Booking reference

Date

Booking discipline that holds the slot

A booking is a slot allocation, not a guarantee. The forwarder books your container into a vessel slot two to three weeks before sailing; the carrier holds the slot until the cargo cut-off, typically 24 to 48 hours before vessel sailing. If the cargo is not at the terminal by the cut-off, the slot rolls to the next sailing. Rolls happen for legitimate reasons (factory delay, QC re-test, customs query) but each roll has a cost: 7 days of inventory delay, possible reefer plug-in fees, and (on the third or later roll) a credibility hit with the forwarder.

The booking request document carries the cargo description that goes into the carrier system. Once the booking is confirmed, the cargo description on the BL is harder to change; the carrier system auto-fills from the booking record. An incomplete cargo description at booking ("chemicals" or "industrial goods") leaves the BL description vague, which slows customs at the destination side because the broker has to ask for clarification. The cargo description on the booking should be the same description that appears on the commercial invoice; consistency across documents speeds clearance.

DG cargo (Classes 3, 4, 5.2, 6.1, 8) requires the IMDG class on the booking. The carrier confirms the class against the carrier DG matrix and the vessel DG-stowage capacity; some classes are restricted on certain vessels and the carrier may decline the booking. Booking DG cargo without flagging the IMDG class is the most common cause of a "booking refused at confirmation" event; the forwarder discovers the DG status when collecting the SDS for the BL, by which time the slot has been reissued to another booking.

Reefer cargo needs the temperature set point on the booking. A reefer set at minus 30 degrees has different vessel-stowage requirements than a reefer set at plus 5 degrees; the carrier needs to know which power slot to allocate. ISO tank cargo (20TK) needs the tank type (T11, T14, T22, T50, T75) so the carrier knows the design pressure and the cargo class compatibility. See /tools/iso-tank-loading for tank fill math under IMDG 4.2.1.9.

Worked example. The roll that became three rolls

The booking. A US buyer asks for a 20GP of fine chemical product Shanghai to Houston, sailing week of 15 June. Forwarder confirms slot on a Maersk vessel sailing 17 June, cargo cut-off 15 June 14:00 local. Cargo is at the factory ready to load on 12 June. Looks fine on paper.

The failure. Buyer QC asks the factory to re-run a heavy-metals test on a sample, factory QC lab is short-staffed for two days, retest result lands 14 June afternoon, just within scope but tight. Inland trucking from factory to Shanghai port is booked for the morning of 15 June. Truck breaks down 60 km from port; replacement truck does not arrive until 16:00. Cargo arrives at port 17:00, 3 hours past the cut-off. Slot rolls to the next sailing, 24 June. Demurrage at port for 7 days at 200 USD/day = 1,400 USD. The next-sailing slot is also tight because of CFS warehouse congestion; cargo gets held for inspection on a random GACC pull, rolls again to 1 July. Total delay 16 days, total D&D 3,200 USD. Either the buyer absorbs the delay, or the forwarder eats the D&D; the buyer absorbs because the cause was the buyer-driven retest plus the truck breakdown, not the forwarder error.

The fix. On the next shipment the buyer builds a 4-day buffer between cargo readiness and the cargo cut-off (cargo ready 11 June, cut-off 15 June). Buyer also pre-positions the inland trucking for 12 June with a 13 June fallback. Cargo lands at port on 12 June, 3 days early. The 11-June-12-June pre-position window absorbs a 24-hour QC retest or a one-truck breakdown without slipping. Cost of the buffer: 3 days of inventory at the factory yard, roughly 50 USD per day for chemical cargo at-risk. Cost of skipping the buffer: 3,200 USD plus 16 days. The buffer is the cheap insurance.

Frequently asked

What is a booking request?

A booking request is the document the shipper sends to the freight forwarder asking the forwarder to book vessel space for a specific shipment. It names the cargo, the container type, the origin and destination ports, the target ETD or sailing week, and the buyer / seller party details. The forwarder uses it to pull a slot from the carrier and to issue the booking confirmation.

Is this the same as the bill of lading?

No. The booking is the pre-shipment request; the bill of lading (BL) is the post-loading document that names the actual cargo and routing. The booking is the seller plus forwarder agreement; the BL is the carrier issued cargo title document. The booking number on the carrier system carries through to the BL, but they are not the same paper.

What are the key fields a forwarder needs from a booking request?

Eight fields: shipper, consignee, notify party, cargo description, HS code, container type and quantity, gross and net weight, origin port, destination port, target ETD or sailing week, Incoterm, special handling (DG class if applicable, reefer set point if applicable, OOG dimensions if applicable). Missing any of these triggers a forwarder follow-up email.

When should I send the booking request?

For ocean cargo: 7 to 14 days before the target sailing week. Earlier than that and the carrier slot is not yet open; later than that and you risk the slot being filled, especially on peak-season USWC and around Chinese New Year. For air cargo: 3 to 7 days before target uplift. For courier express: 1 to 3 days.

Why does the carrier ask for VGM separately from the booking?

The Verified Gross Mass (VGM) declaration under SOLAS is filed against the actual stuffed container weight, which is unknown at booking time. The booking gives the carrier the planned weight; the VGM gives the carrier the actual weight, filed 12 to 48 hours before vessel cut-off. The forwarder collects the VGM declaration separately and submits to the carrier on the shipper behalf. See /tools/documentation/vgm-submission-helper for the VGM document.

What happens if I miss the booking cut-off?

The slot rolls to the next sailing, typically 7 days later. Some carriers charge a re-booking fee; most do not on first roll. A repeated roll on the same booking signals to the carrier that the cargo is not actually ready, and the forwarder can lose priority on subsequent slots. Treat the cut-off as a hard deadline.