Expedition equipment / freight

These information refer to freight transports by AWI staff, cooperating university, institutes other comissioned companies for scientific or techical tasks onboard RV Polarstern

AWI logistics organizes the transport of expedition freight and ensures that equipment and instruments are brought onboard at the right time. The collection point for freight is the AWI Harbour storehouse where the freight has to be delivered to and has to be collected again after the expedition.

The number of freight items is large and the complexity of transport complicated so that for managment, control and documentation of the freight require some hard- and software. Only by following the instructions given here transport to and from RV Polarstern can be accomplished.

You should consider your equipment in due time and collect information in the necessary forms (freight lists, statements about hazardous materials, papers for customs clearance).

Deadlines are calculated such that a correct processing of the number of freight documents on AWI side, from the ship operator and from authorities can be ensured and freight can be stored in seaworthy containers.

In average about 3000 freight items are overseen. Therefore we ask your understanding for the deadlines. We point out that every exception from the standard handling may lead to delays of the whole process and should therefore be avoided by all means.

Transfer of the freight onto Polarstern is garantueed only by meeting the deadlines.

Ample time should be planned for procurement, rental or maintenance of instruments.

General instructions

• All freight has to be seaworthy (shock-resistant, stackable, sealed and waterproof).
• We expect freight to be frost-resistant.
• Frost-sensitive items have to be delivered separately and marked accordingly.
• Please deliver your freight on palette if you have more than 10 boxes.
• If you have items that are too heavy or too large to carry you have to make sure that they can be transported with a forklift.
• If your item can only be moved with a crane you have to provide suitable shackels, ropes or straps. Technical aids suiting to your item may not be available onboard!
• In order to avoid confusion remove all older markings, labels or stickers.
• All pieces of freight require special labelling on every side for identification (colour coding & signs; see below)

How do I have to mark the freight?

All pieces of freight have to carry labels with a ident number and other information on four sides and on the upward side (see expedition label on the right side).

Besides items need to be marked with colour coding (e.g. coloured tape) on four sides and the upward side (see example below). In case your institution does not have a colour code yet, ask the freight division about it (Transport@awi.de).

Which documents do I need?

Freight list:

• Use a single line for every item of freight and use the drop down menues for choosing where possible.
  
• The complete list has to be sent to the freight division as an Excel document. It will be transfered to the AWI freight system and you will get the list back together with a barcode.
  
• For pieces of freight under customs surveillance at the harbour storehouse including large devices or container a separate freight list has to be prepared because for them no export declaration is necessary.  Clearly mark this list with "Boxes from the harbour storehouse".

Packing list:

• A copy of a packing list needs to be put insed every box / package.
• The packing list needs not to be signed because the electronic documentation is binding for customs clearance. The accordance of the lists with the contents of the boxes is authorisied towards customs by the NAME given on the list.
  
• Packing lists have to be send to the freight division as Excel files.
  

Freight list for hazardous goods, IMO-declaration :

• In case you need to ship hazardous goods you have to fill in a separate freight list for hazardous goods .  There you have to list the hazardous good and chose "Dangerous Goods" in the drop down menue "Kind of freight". This list together with the List of Dangerous Goods and the IMO-declaration has to be sent to the freight division . All 3 documents have to be handed over at delivery of the hazardous goods.
  The List of Dangerous Goods and the IMO-declaration have to be filled in according to special rules. See detailed information further below.

Summary :

• Freight list
  
• Packing list
  
  
• Freight list for hazardous goods
• List for Dangerous Goods
  
• IMO-declaration
  

Delivery to the harbour storehouse

1. Delivery of the freight documents to the freight division via Email according to schedule

2. Return of the freight documents together with barcodes from the freight division

3. Making an appointment for delivering your freight to the harbour storehouse

4. Prepare the single administrative document (SAD) for the freight and have it stamped upon entering the free-trade harbour. Use a copy of the barcode freight list as attachment.

5. Personal delivery of the freight to the harbour storehouse and hand over of the single administrative document and the freight lists with barcode

6. The last 2 tasks have to be carried out by the driver upon delivery with a transport company.

Deliver your freight on palettes in case you have more than 10 boxes. Packages which are unportable have to be movable by forklift.

Experience shows that personal delivery of the freight by the user makes sense because often questions remain for clarification.

Is your freight already stored in the harbour storehouse?

1. Separate freight list containing items from the harbour storehouse only

2. Packing lists for these packages

3. Information about these packages in your Email to the freight division

4. Appointment with the harbour storehouse for handover of the freight

5. Marking packages with the recent  labels / signs

6. Handing over freight to the storehouse staff

Dangerous goods from AWI members

1. AWI members put their dangerous goods into the rooms assigned for dangerous goods in house E and house D at the time scheduled for this.

2. Do not put dangerous goods of external participants in these rooms!

3. Make sure your goods are marked according to the rules for labelling of dangerous goods.

Dangerous goods from external participants

1. Dangerous goods from external participants can only be brought to the harbour storehouse at the dates given in the time schedule.
   The storehouse is not entitled to store such goods, therefore delivery and storage is not possible on other days.

2. Make sure your goods are marked according to the rules for labelling of dangerous goods.

Frozen and chilled goods

1. Frozen or chilled goods must not be delivered to the harbour storehouse!

2. The harbour storehouse has no cold storage. Temperature control or uninterupted power supply cannot be garantueed.

3. Please register such goods with the freight division. You will get an appointment for direct delivery to Polarstern.
   

4. You have to take your goods onboard to the cold storages yourself. Thus it is warraneted that you goods are stored at the right temperature.

5. AWI members please inform the AWI customs division 7 working days before delivery in order to have enough time for preparation of customs documents if necessary.
   

6. Frozen or chilled goods must not be taken onboard without previous registration.
   

Direct delivery to RV Polarstern

1. Delivery for delayed devices or freight directly to Polarstern shortly before departure is only possible in exceptional cases.
   

2. You must give a good justification for delayed delivery. D

3. Direct delivery to Polarstern will be prohibited should the impression arise that regular delivery deadlines were neglected without cause.
   

4. Hand over a freight list to the freight division. You will get an appointment for direct delivery to the ship. You defGeben Sie eine Frachtliste bei der Frachtabteilung ab. Dann bekommen Sie den Direktanlieferungstermin mitgeteilt. Please make sure you keep this appointment!

5. AWI members please inform the AWI customs division 7 working days before delivery in order to have enough time for preparation of customs documents if necessary.

6. Freight must not be taken onboard without previous registration.
   

Single pieces of freight

If you need some of your packages for installations etc. right after departure you may store them separately onboard.
Explicitly mark these packages and inform the AWI harbour storehouse staff upon delivery. Otherwise the single packages will be stored together with the rest of the freight in containers.

Example for marking of a single piece of freight:

Pick-up of freight from the harbour storehouse

1. Updated freight documents have to be handed over at the end of the journey.

2. You will be informed  after arrival of the freight at the storehouse. Pick-up including the required customs documents has to be registered with AWI customs divison. You will be given a notice about deposit of the finished papers in the harbour storehouse.
   

3. Make an appointment for pick-up of the freight from the storehouse and bring documents that may be required additionally.
   

4. Bring along customs documents and order for relocation for collection of your freight.
   

Collection of dangerous goods from the harbour storehouse:

Pay attention to the fact that you have to collect dangerous goods before or together with the rest of your freight! Dangerous goods must not left behind in the storehouse!

In case you entrust a transport company with the collection of freight make sure that they are entitled to carry dangerous goods.

Delivery to the ship abroad

If you want to send freight to a harbour abroad you have to inform the AWI ship coordination and the agent with a freight list and declare that any costs for services of the agency (e.g. transport of freight from the airport to RV Polarstern) are payed for by you and your institution.

All freight lists and details about the shipping have to be sent to AWI ship coordination in due time. Due to safety reasongs f reight must not be taken onboard without previous registration.

Every piece of freight has to be marked the following way:

  In transit to:

Master of RV "POLARSTERN"

Attn.:  "Recipient onboard"
c/o:     "name of agency"
           "Address of agency" (see schedule)  

Collection from the ship abroad

Containers for return freight already have to be noted down by the cruise leader during planning of the expedition. Thus storage space on the ship can prepared appropriately and containers are stored on the deck so that they can be reach in the harbour.

Single pieces of freight can be shipped from foreign harbours as well. Contact the agency on-site about it!

External participants take care of the freight and customs handling themselves and on their own account.

AWI ship coordination may organize a return freight container if there are several single pieces of freight going to Bremerhaven.

Always inform AWI ship coordination about return freights at home or abroad in due time.