Understanding Breakbulk Express (BBX) Shipping

23 March 2023 4 Mins Read

Breakbulk shipping is especially useful for businesses that send a high volume of orders to a single export destination. Instead of sending them out individually, incurring high customs fees, these can be consolidated into one shipment.

Also known as open cargo shipping, breakbulk shipping involves loading items onto pallets, drums, crates or skids instead of large containers, making it easier to separate products so they can be shipped to different locations. It can help businesses that ship in bulk save costs and streamline processes. This type of shipment is popular among shippers that transport large quantities of items, such as electronics retailers, clothing manufacturers, and food producers.

DHL Express Breakbulk (BBX) is a shipping service that allows companies to ship multiple products and consignments as a singular entity and under one air waybill and invoice, saving time and costs for the shipper. This article aims to explain the benefits of BBX and how it can prove crucial for your company in the shipping and export industry.

Benefits of DHL Express Breakbulk

Prevent shipment delays

Save costs on storage and customs charges

Reduce paperwork

Select multiple delivery locations

1. Prevent shipment delays

If you ship in bulk – in containers – without separating out the products meant for different destinations, you would have to deconstruct goods into separate containers. This can delay the shipping process. Delays in deliveries and lost products could mean a decrease in customer loyalty and lowered brand impression, factors that can curtail a business’ e-commerce growth.

Breakbulk shipping is a way export businesses can avoid shipping delays. With BBX, goods are not containerised, meaning they do not need to be deconstructed before being exported. The time taken for deconstruction and reconstruction is eliminated, the process of shipping is made more efficient, and delays are less likely to occur.

2. Save costs on storage and customs charges

The advantage of breakbulk shipping is that businesses would not need to invest in temporary storage. As DHL Express separates shipments before it’s exported, there isn’t a need to store your goods in the warehouse. Deliveries are made directly from manufacturers to customers, and the cost and time of storing goods are removed.

Also, instead of having to pay for multiple import and export customs clearance fees for each individual shipment, you can have all your parcels processed as a single unit. Consolidating shipments also helps you reduce the costs of duty and tax management fees. This ultimately allows businesses to save on shipping costs.

For example, upon partnering with DHL Express and engaging our BBX service, a major fashion conglomerate in India, Aza, reported savings on multiple fronts. The business reported 60% savings in banking fees, 5% savings on export clearance taxes and 40% savings on its processing times, showing a clear indication of DHL Express’ BBX services in comparison to regular bulk shipping.

3. Reduce paperwork

With regular shipping, each shipment requires separate air waybills and commercial invoices to be processed by international customs. If you have hundreds of packages, that could mean having to deal with lots of paperwork. Instead of spending time on more strategic tasks, your employees spend excessive amounts of time sorting our tedious paperwork.

With breakbulk shipping, however, you would not have to create airway bills for each shipment. A single shipping label and customs invoice is created for your consolidated shipment and submitted to customs alongside the information relevant to the products you want to ship. After clearing customs, your cargo is split at our warehouses and delivered to their destinations.

4. Select multiple delivery locations

Under break bulk shipping terms, your shipments are split into separate delivery entities upon arrival, which saves you and your business costs that are usually spent on storage while the rest of your shipments are transported to the location of your choice.

Setting up DHL Express Breakbulk

Step 1: Set up a DHL Express Business Account

Apply for a DHL Express Business Account. The DHL Express team will contact you to set up an account.

Step 2: Integrate the MyDHL API with your e-commerce platform

Set up DHL Express as a courier service on your third-party e-commerce platform. You will be provided access to your credentials to the DHL EXPRESS API (MyDHL API) so that you can integrate this into your website.

Step 3: Set up DHL Express BBX

Start sending consolidated shipments by adding the BBX product code to your account.

Step 4: Generate parent AWB

When preparing your shipment, first generate your air waybill (AWB) as you would any regular shipment. This will be your parent AWB. Include important details such as the weight and dimensions of your parcel and both the shipper’s and receiver’s addresses and details.

Step 5: Generate child AWB

After you have generated the parent air waybill (AWB), it can be used to create your child AWBs. It is similar to creating a parent AWB, except that the parent AWB needs to be put into the order dialogue box.

Contact your DHL Express account manager if you have any trouble during the setup process.

Partner with DHL Express when delivering multiple shipments

DHL Express Breakbulk (BBX) services can streamline your entire shipping operation, from costs to efficiency in clearing customs to less paperwork on your end. As the leading logistics and delivery provider in the world, we are committed to offering faster deliveries and creating solutions for your logistics issues using the most advanced technology. Here at DHL Express, we offer a variety of add-on services and ensure your shipments are guaranteed safe arrival at their destinations.

Reach out to us to learn more about our breakbulk shipping terms and rates when planning your logistics strategy. Start by opening a business account with DHL Express now, and take advantage of our breakbulk logistics services to set you apart from your competition.

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