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Static units carry costs that rolling cargo does not. This checklist helps commercial teams find missing or doubled charges before a breakbulk or high and heavy quote is sent.

Written for: Commercial directors and pricing teams at RoRo carriers and logistics companies

Contents
  1. What a static cargo quote contains
  2. The checklist
  3. Three rules that prevent most disputes
  4. Where this fits
  5. Why this capability matters

A transformer, a boat on a cradle or a press cannot drive onto a RoRo vessel. It goes on a roll trailer or cassette, needs securing, and may need lifting at origin or destination. Each step has a cost. Some are covered by the freight rate, some are charged separately and some belong to another party.

Static cargo quotes go wrong in two directions. A charge is left out and the carrier absorbs it, or a charge already covered by freight is added again and the customer disputes the invoice. Both mistakes are made at the quoting desk, and both can be caught there.

What a static cargo quote contains

The breakdown below shows the lines a typical static cargo quote needs. It is an illustration of structure, not a software screen and not a customer quote. Values are described, not priced.

Anatomy of a static cargo quote

Cargo
Static transformer on roll trailer
Pricing basis
As agreed in tariff or contract
Sailing
Planned voyage, confirmed by operations
  1. Freight
    Tariff or contract basis, e.g. W/M
    Rate × chargeable quantity
    Line 1. Covers: Sea carriage of the unit and anything the rate includes.Basis: Applicable tariff or contract, chargeable quantity and minimum charge.Needs: Cargo dimensions and weight, including the handling equipment.Status: confirmed when the inputs are known.
  2. Roll trailer or cassette
    Included period, then per day
    Included / extra days
    Line 2. Covers: Equipment the static unit travels on.Basis: Included in freight for an agreed period, or charged separately.Needs: Equipment type, included days and responsibility for agreed repositioning.Status: confirmed when the inputs are known.
  3. Lashing and securing
    Per agreed scope
    Per agreed scope
    Line 3. Covers: Services and materials to secure the unit for the voyage.Basis: Separate charge or included, depending on the agreement.Needs: Required services and materials, and who provides them.Status: confirmed when the inputs are known.
  4. Handling or lifting
    Origin and destination, as applicable
    Not yet confirmed
    Line 4. Covers: Lifting the unit on to or off its equipment, and terminal handling.Basis: Charged by the party that performs it; may be payable locally.Needs: Which activities are needed at each end, and who pays.Still open: destination lifting not priced. Shown as unresolved, not zero.
  5. Out-of-gauge
    Only if the tariff defines it
    If triggered
    Line 5. Covers: Extra charge for units beyond standard dimensions.Basis: Defined by the tariff; measured including the handling equipment.Needs: Dimensions that trigger the charge under this tariff.Status: confirmed when the inputs are known.
Quote total
Sum of confirmed lines
+ 1 unresolved
Before sending: resolve line 4 or state it as an open item with an owner. Check that nothing included in freight appears again below it.
IllustrativeA structure for explaining a quote, not a software screen or a customer quote. Values are described rather than priced. Not every shipment needs every line.

The freight line comes from the agreed pricing basis. How to price breakbulk and H&H cargo on a RoRo vessel explains how to choose and apply it. Every line below freight needs three answers: is it already included, who pays for it, and what is it calculated on.

The checklist

Use the checklist on every static unit before the quote leaves the desk. It prints on one page.

Static cargo charge checklist

Practical resource

Ticks are for working through a quote on screen. They are not saved and clear when you reload.

Three rules that prevent most disputes

Included means included. If the freight rate covers the trailer for the voyage period, only extra days belong on a separate line. Write the included period into the quote so the invoice can be checked against it.

Unknown is not zero. A lifting charge at destination that nobody has priced yet is still a cost. Mark it as unresolved and say who will confirm it. A quote that hides an open cost will be corrected later, usually after the customer has accepted it.

Not every unit attracts every charge. A self-propelled excavator needs no trailer. A unit within the standard dimensions pays no out-of-gauge charge. The checklist is a set of questions, not a list of surcharges to apply.

Where this fits

This checklist covers the charges around a static unit. The pricing method sits in How to price breakbulk and H&H cargo. Whether the unit is the best use of the deck it takes is a separate question, covered in Pricing scarce deck capacity.

Why this capability matters

Static cargo is where quoting errors cost most per unit. A missed trailer day or a doubled lashing charge is small on one quote and large across a year of breakbulk and H&H business. A carrier that can price static units completely, and explain every line, protects margin and avoids the disputes that cost customer goodwill.

Related reading

Review a recent static cargo quote

Bring one recent breakbulk or H&H quote, the cargo description, the pricing basis you applied and the charges that needed manual judgement. We will go through it line by line with you.

Cartagena builds these capabilities together with each customer, as tailored solutions on the Microsoft platform.

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