Unit of competency details

Unit Descriptor 

This unit involves the skills and knowledge required to plan and organise international forwarding of freight involving road and rail transport (covering the importing, exporting and transiting of freight). This includes confirming customers' freight transport requirements; selecting routing for road and rail freight transport; advising on and organising the packaging, packing, loading, stowage and storage of road and rail freight; and completing freight forwarding calculations for road and rail transport. It also includes assisting in the organisation of insurance for road and rail freight transport; organising permits, authorisations etc.; liaising with the freight forwarding global network; tracking and tracing international cargo being forwarded by road and rail transport; and completing documentation and records required for road and rail freight transport. There are no specific licensing or certification requirements applicable to this unit.

Application of the Unit 

This unit was developed for persons involved in planning and organising the international forwarding of freight by road and rail transport as part of advanced international freight forwarding functions.

Typically these individuals must demonstrate the ability to work independently or as part of a team under direct and/or indirect supervision, perform detailed analyses, use discretion and judgement, and take responsibility for the quality of their outputs.

All activities are carried out in accordance with relevant organisational policy and procedures, as well as national and global codes of practice and regulations applicable to international freight forwarding.

Employability Skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

Performance criteria describe the required performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1 Select routing for road and rail freight transport 

1.1 Requirements for international road and rail freight transport services are confirmed and clarified with the customer

1.2 Critical logistics aspects of the freight transport are determined, analysed and taken into account in planning the freight forwarding solution(s)

1.3 Checks are made that all conventions for international road and rail freight transport are fulfilled

1.4 Where the freight forwarding involves special transport services, advice is sought as required from experts or specialists in the area of the special cargo or dangerous goods concerned

1.5 Suitable routing for road and rail freight transport is selected after consideration of the options available and analysis of the risks involved

1.6 Alternative routing options are identified for possible use in the event of contingencies

2 Advise on and organise the packaging , packing , stowage and storage of freight for road and rail transport 

2.1 Suitable options are determined for the packaging, packing, stowage and storage of freight given the type of cargo, the mode of transport, the destination and the selected route(s)

2.2 Where applicable, container types suitable for road and rail freight transport and appropriate for the freight are reviewed and appropriate options selected

2.3 Restrictions on the dimensions of containers for transport by road and/or rail are taken into account when selecting container types

2.4 The pricing of containers and other forms of freight packaging suitable for road and rail freight transport is determined and advice provided to the customer

2.5 Advice is provided to the customer on the selection, loading and packing of suitable container types and other forms of freight packaging as applicable

2.6 Documentation required for the selected containers or other forms of packaging suitable for road and rail freight transport is prepared as per standard procedures and regulatory requirements

2.7 Appropriate action is taken to organise and provide advice to the customer on the packaging, packing, stowage and storage of the freight for the planned forwarding project including the planning of the loading of the selected containers where applicable

3 Complete freight forwarding calculations for road and rail freight transport 

3.1 Calculations required in the course of planning and organising the international forwarding of freight involving road and rail freight transport are completed accurately and with the available computational aids

4 Assist in organising insurance for road and rail freight transport 

4.1 Risks involved in the planned road and rail freight forwarding solution are identified and analysed

4.2 Transport and liability insurance requirements for the proposed forwarding solution are evaluated and considered

4.3 Assistance in selecting and organising appropriate insurance options is provided as per standard procedures and applicable regulatory requirements

5 Organise permits , authorisations etc . needed for road and rail freight transport 

5.1 Documentation requirements are determined for the cargo, mode(s) of transport and selected routing concerned, including permits, authorisations etc.

5.2 Documentation requirements are organised and processed as per standard procedures and applicable regulatory requirements

6 Liaise with the freight forwarding global network 

6.1 Appropriate liaison with agents, carriers and others in the global network and supply chain is conducted to plan and organise the freight forwarding project

6.2 Appropriate information and communications technology systems and equipment are used when liaising with the freight forwarding global network as per standard operating procedures and regulatory requirements

7 Track and trace international cargo being forwarded by road and rail transport 

7.1 International cargo being transported by road or rail freight transport is tracked and traced during a freight forwarding project using the available systems and technology

7.2 Problems with the transit of freight identified during tracking activities are evaluated and appropriate action is initiated to address the problems as per standard procedures

7.3 Advice is provided to the customer on the progress of the international road and rail freight transport project and any action taken to address unexpected contingencies

8 Complete required documentation and records 

8.1 Forms and documentation required for the planned freight forwarding project are completed as per standard operating procedures and applicable regulatory requirements

8.2 Data is retrieved from and entered into computer systems as per standard operating procedures and applicable regulatory requirements

8.3 Records of arrangements made and critical transactions are kept as per standard operating procedures and applicable regulatory requirements

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS 

This describes the essential knowledge and skills and their level required for this unit.

Required knowledge :

• Australian and international regulations and conventions applicable to the planning and organising of international freight forwarding involving road and rail transport (including the importing, exporting and transiting of goods)

• Standard procedures, codes of practice, conventions and protocols for planning and organising international freight forwarding involving road and rail transport (including the importing, exporting and transiting of goods)

• Relevant OH&S and environmental procedures and regulations

• Principles of international trade and commerce

• Principles and forms of road and rail freight transport

• Types of road vehicles, trains and rollingstock - their applications, capacity and routes

• Major road and rail routes, services, conferences, road and rail freight terminals as they apply to road and rail freight transport

• Freight handling and terminal equipment at major worldwide road and rail freight terminals

• Definitions, purpose and use of Incoterms and Combiterms

• Freight types, consignments and consolidations

• Road and rail containers and containerisation, including types, purposes, dimensions and specifications; loading principles and processes; load planning for containers

• Sources of information and documentation needed when planning and organising international freight forwarding by road and rail transport, including permits and authorisations

• Principles and techniques of closed-loop communication in which checks are made to confirm that messages and responses being given or received are unambiguous and are correctly and clearly understood

• Understanding of the principles of quality assurance and customer service standards, policies and procedures as they apply in the international freight forwarding industry

• Typical problems that can occur when planning and organising international freight forwarding by road and rail transport and related appropriate action that can be taken to prevent or solve them

Required skills :

• Communicate effectively with others when planning and organising international freight forwarding involving road and rail transport, including unambiguous closed-loop communication in which checks are made to confirm that messages and responses are correctly and clearly understood (particularly in situations where communication is with a person for whom English is not the native language)

• Read and interpret instructions, procedures, information and signs relevant to the planning and organising of international freight forwarding involving road and rail transport

• Interpret and follow operational instructions and prioritise work

• Complete documentation related to the planning and organising international freight forwarding by road and rail transport, including the use of calculators and data entry to a computer

• Operate information and communication technology to required protocol

• Perform required estimates and calculations of variables such as size, weight, distance, risk and costs when planning and organising international freight forwarding involving road and rail transport

• Work collaboratively with others when planning and organising international freight forwarding involving road and rail transport

• Adapt appropriately to cultural differences in the workplace, including modes of behaviour and interactions with others

• Promptly report and/or rectify any identified problems that may arise when planning and organising international freight forwarding involving road and rail transport in accordance with regulatory requirements and workplace procedures

• Implement contingency plans for unanticipated situations that may occur when planning and organising international freight forwarding involving road and rail transport

• Monitor work activities in terms of planned schedule and deadlines

• Apply relevant codes of practice and applicable legislative requirements

• Modify activities depending on differing operational contingencies, risk situations and environments

• Select and appropriately apply technology, information systems and procedures to complete workplace tasks

• Select and use required personal protective equipment conforming to industry and OH&S standards

• Work systematically with required attention to detail without injury to self or others, or damage to goods or equipment

• Operate and adapt to differences in equipment in accordance with standard operating procedures

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required knowledge and skills, the range statement and the assessment guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit 

• The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria of this unit and include demonstration of:

• selecting routing for road and rail freight transport
• advising on and organising the packaging, packing, stowage and storage of freight for road and rail transport
• completing freight forwarding calculations for road and rail freight transport
• assisting in the organisation of insurance for road and rail freight transport
• organising permits, authorisations etc. needed for road and rail freight transport
• liaising with the freight forwarding global network when organising road and rail freight transport
• tracking and tracing international cargo being forwarded by road and rail transport
• completing documentation and records required for road and rail freight transport

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

• Performance is demonstrated consistently over a period of time and in a suitable range of contexts
• Resources for assessment include:

• a range of relevant exercises, case studies and/or other simulated practical and knowledge assessment, and/or
• access to an appropriate range of relevant operational situations in the workplace

• In both real and simulated environments, access is required to:

• relevant and appropriate materials and equipment, and
• applicable documentation including workplace procedures, regulations, codes of practice and operation manuals

Method of assessment 

• Assessment of this unit must be undertaken by a registered training organisation
• As a minimum, assessment of knowledge must be conducted through appropriate written/oral tests
• Practical assessment must occur:

• through activities in an appropriately simulated environment at the registered training organisation, and/or
• in an appropriate range of situations in the workplace

RANGE STATEMENT 

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance.

Mode of international freight transport may include:

• road transport
• rail transport
• piggyback (combined transport road-rail transport)

International freight forwarding includes services related to:

• the importing of goods
• the exporting of goods
• the transiting of goods

Trains used for international rail freight transport may include but are not limited to:

• Conventional transport by railwagons or rollingstock, involving complete wagon loads (as part loads have now nearly disappeared), including:

• various different types of railwagons or rollingstock (railway-owned or privately-owned)
• special railwagons or rollingstock (e.g. with changeable axles, container-carrying railwagons or rollingstock etc.)

• Combined transport by rail (road-rail transport), including:

• piggyback (transport by rail of road semi-trailers)
• container traffic by rail (unaccompanied combined transport)
• swap-bodies (similar to containers)
• Euro (pallet wide) containers

Road vehicles used for international freight transport may include but are not limited to:

• vans and light rigid vehicles of varying length, width, height, loading and total weight
• rigid trucks of varying length, width, height, loading and total weight
• semitrailers and multi-combination vehicles of varying length, width, height, loading and total weight
• vehicles capable of participating in combined freight movements such as road/rail, road/ferryboat, roll-on/roll-off vessels
• vehicles capable of carrying special loads such as perishable goods, liquids, gases and heavy-lift cargo
• vehicles with swap-bodies (similar to containers)

Pre-transport issues in the forwarding of freight by road and rail transport may include:

• adequacy of insurance
• adequacy of packaging
• planning of the packing and loading of cargo into containers
• planning for security, proper stacking and stowage and handling in transit
• planning for clearance, delivery and receival during transit and at destination

Requirements for work may include:

• international freight forwarding codes of practice, protocols and procedures
• regulations relevant to the international forwarding of freight by road and rail transport
• authorities and permits relevant to the international forwarding of freight by road and rail transport
• workplace standard operating procedures
• information and communications technology and related systems
• global time zones and hours of operation

Parameters of road and rail freight transport services relevant to customer requirements may include:

• standard operating procedures for forwarding of various types of international freight by road and rail
• type of transport modes
• road and rail transport routing
• various consignment methods for road and rail transport
• packaging, packing, stowage and storage options for road and rail transport, including road and rail freight containerisation or use of unit load devices
• relevant legislative requirements
• required import/export documentation, labelling and requirements
• transport security checks
• insurance requirements
• service costs
• contract arrangements
• payment requirements and procedures
• fiduciary and legal responsibilities of either party

Types of containers used in road and rail transport may include but are not limited to:

• box (dry van)
• open top
• open side
• bulk
• tanks
• reefer
• platform
• flat

Types of packages used for storing and protecting cargo during transit may include:

• bags
• cartons
• thermal cartons with gel-ice
• cases
• drums
• pallets
• pallecons and other devices for carrying bulk liquids, pastes and powders

Consultative processes may involve:

• customers
• international and domestic agents and suppliers
• railway or road transport company representatives
• relevant regulatory authorities and institutions
• other employees and supervisors
• management
• freight forwarding specialists
• other professional or technical staff

Sources of information required to perform international freight forwarding functions may include:

• websites of key international and Australian organisations such as FIATA, IMO, ICAO, IATA, CASA, AMSA, Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, AQIS, government agencies responsible for transport security etc.
• key reference publications such as Incoterms, FIATA forms and documents, ICC publications, and other manuals, texts and handbooks on freight forwarding, international trade and related topics etc.

Communications systems may involve:

• face-to-face conversation
• telephone including fixed, mobile and IP phones
• fax
• email
• electronic data transfer of information (EDI)
• mail

Depending on the type of organisation concerned and the local terminology used, workplace procedures may include:

• company procedures
• enterprise procedures
• organisational procedures
• established procedures

Information/documents may include but are not limited to:

• Australian and international regulations and codes of practice for the international forwarding of freight by road and rail
• summaries and definitions of Incoterms and Combiterms
• customers' instructions and transport requirements
• workplace standard operating procedures and policies
• operations manuals, job specifications and procedures and induction documentation
• standard FIATA forms and documentation such as:

• Waybill for inland transportation
• Waybill for cross border traffics
• International Customs Transit Document (e.g. carnet TIR)
• a Truck Bill of Lading
• a Rail Bill of Lading
• a Negotiable Multimodal Transport Bill of Lading (FB/L)
• a Non-negotiable Multimodal Transport Waybill (FWB)
• a Forwarders Certificate of Receipt (FCR)
• a Forwarders Certificate of Transport (FCT)
• a Forwarders Warehouse Receipt (FWR)
• a Forwarders Forwarding Instructions (FFI)
• a Shippers Declaration for the Transport of Dangerous Goods (SDT)
• a Shippers Intermodal Weight Certification (SIWC)
• an Original Bill of Lading (OB/L)
• a House Bill of Lading (HBL)
• Multimodal Transport Bill of Lading (MTB/L)

• cargo manifests
• pre-advice and pre-alert documents
• Australian and international standards, criteria and certification requirements
• data obtained through communications technology equipment and oral, aural or signed communications
• freight forwarder company's quality assurance standards and procedures
• emergency procedures

Applicable regulations and legislation may include:

• Australian and international regulations Australian and international regulations, conventions and codes of practice for the international forwarding of freight
• relevant regulations for the import and export of cargo
• Australian and international standards and certification requirements
• relevant regulations pertaining to international trading and financial transactions
• relevant Australian and international transport security and safety legislation
• relevant Australian and international environmental protection legislation

Competency Field 

A - Handling Cargo/Stock