USING TEU IS VERY CONVENIENT!
It’s interesting that 20 or 40 foot container became the standard only in 1964! Modern transportation cannot be imagined without containers for obvious reasons:
1.Container protects the cargo from environmental influences and ensures preservation for any mode of transportation;
2.The same container can be moved from one mode of transport to another (from ship to rail or truck) without unloading and reloading the contents of the container;
3.Container must be sealed, so only final consignee can open it. Sealed contained guarantees the safety of the cargo and helps to avoid a lot of claims against the carrier.
Hence, container transportation is very convenient, fast, reliable and affordable.
WHAT DOES TELEX RELEASE MEAN?
Telex Release means that carrier is ready to transfer the cargo to the consignee. Typically, carriers carefully watch over the payment of all fees declared in the bill of lading, and after that make release.
Telex Release is also known as an Express Bill of Lading. What happens here is that the Shipping Company issues an Original but they do NOT give the original to the Shipper. Shipper once the don't have questions from the Consignee on payments of goods stamp special form and send it the Carrier, in return the carrier mark the Bill of Ladding with Telex Release chop and mark SURRENDERED in their internal system. It automatically can be used by consignee on their side WITHOUT an Original at destination.
How to Calculate CBM for a Sea Shipment and Air Shipment
CBM (or cubic meter) is the standard size that international sea shippers use to calculate how much to charge for cargo that is less than a container load (LCL). A CBM is defined as 1 meter high, wide and deep. You calculate it by multiplying the three dimensions of a box, crate or pallet in metric units. For example, a box that is 0.6 m high by 0.4 m wide by 1 m deep is 0.24 CBM. A CBM is approximately 35 cubic feet.
As for air cargo, air carrier usually charge the rate for kilo. And in order to avoid the situation, where light cargo can be charged less, volume weight can be applied. The formula for calculation is like this: Width (CM) X Height (CM) X Depth (CM) / 6000 = volume weight. So if the cargo is light, and 1 CBM for example is less than 166 kilo, it will be charged the rate for 166 kilos by air carrier anyway.