Free tool

Ask the logistics desk

Put a real shipping problem to the desk in plain language and get a written, cited answer by email the next morning.

Logistics desk

How it works

A conversation, then a checked answer

Type a shipping problem in plain language and the desk asks back — one question at a time, only for what it doesn't already know — until it has a complete brief: what's moving, from where, to where, how it's packed, the Incoterm if you have one, and the dates you're working to. A narrower question (an Incoterms allocation, the document list for a route you already know) can be answered directly in one or two turns, no full brief required.

Once the brief is complete, a written answer goes to your work email. It's built from an actual lookup against the UK Trade Tariff data for the commodity and route you described, not guessed — every code, rate or document name it states has to trace back to that lookup before the answer is allowed to render. For now, a person at Hobfolk reads every answer before it's sent.

In order, the desk asks:

Where is the cargo coming from, and going to?
What is it, and how much (unit, weight/volume)?
Incoterm, if you know it
Dates you're working to
What's actually blocking you — the question in your own words

What you can ask

Four kinds of question, sized to fit

A routing or documents problem

A closed strait, a new country, a lane you've never shipped before — say what's moving and what's actually blocking it, and the desk works out what routing and documents apply.

Just the commodity code

Describe the item, what it's made of and what it's for. That's enough for an advisory HS classification — no destination or dates needed.

The document set for a route you already know

Origin and destination already fixed, nothing disrupted — the desk gives you the standard import/export paperwork for that specific lane.

An Incoterms question on its own

Who insures, who pays duty, who arranges carriage — name the term and the desk answers the allocation directly, usually in a line or two.

Worked examples

Two real exchanges, start to finish

A container to Saudi, a closed strait

I need to ship a container to Saudi, the Strait of Hormuz is meant to be closed.

Got it — and where's this leaving from, and what's in the container?

Southampton. A 10ft-equivalent load of mixed ceramic tableware.

Is your consignee on the Red Sea side (Jeddah, King Abdullah Port, Yanbu) or the Gulf side (Dammam, Jubail)?

Gulf side, near Dammam.

Here's what I've got — Shipping: mixed ceramic tableware, 10ft-equivalent container From: Southampton, UK to: Dammam, Saudi Arabia (Gulf coast) The question: Strait of Hormuz reported closed — routing and documents That's enough for the desk to write a proper answer overnight — where to send it?

Illustrative excerpt of the kind of written answer that comes back — Jeddah and King Abdullah Port don't transit Hormuz at all — only Dammam and Jubail do. The standing workaround for the Gulf coast: discharge at Jeddah and onward road haulage across the peninsula (roughly 950–1,300km), or the Cape-then-Red-Sea route if Bab-el-Mandeb is also compromised. Saudi import documents typically include a commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, bill of lading, a SABER/SASO conformity certificate where the goods class requires it, and a Fasah pre-arrival declaration. Figures here are for illustration only; a customs broker or freight forwarder confirms anything current before cargo moves.

Just the commodity code

What's the HS code for a case of French red wine we're importing?

Still or sparkling, and roughly what size bottle?

Still, 12.5% ABV, 75cl bottles, for retail.

Item: still wine, 12.5% ABV. Material: grape wine, 75cl glass bottles. Used for: retail sale. That's enough for an advisory classification overnight — where to send it?

Illustrative excerpt of the kind of written answer that comes back — Heading 2204 covers wine of fresh grapes; still wine in containers of 2 litres or less sits under a different branch than sparkling wine or bulk containers. The exact code below that point depends on the strength band the 12.5% ABV falls into, and whether a UK-EU preferential origin rate is being claimed — a customs broker confirms the final 10-digit code and the duty rate before use. Figures here are for illustration only; a customs broker or freight forwarder confirms anything current before cargo moves.

What it also flags

Points the desk raises without being asked

Container weight, before it can even sail

A container's verified gross mass has to be filed with the carrier before loading — a box without one doesn't sail (SOLAS Chapter VI, Regulation 2).

Wood packaging, on any export

A pallet or crate needs its own ISPM 15 heat-treatment stamp — a rule about the packaging, not the goods inside it, and one of the commonest reasons wood packaging gets stopped at the border.

Condensation inside a sea container

Warm, humid air trapped in a steel box condenses on the roof over a long voyage and rains back onto the cargo — worth asking about desiccant bags or a ventilated container for anything moisture-sensitive.

Who actually has to insure, and from where

Under EXW or FCA the seller has no duty to insure at all — cover is on the buyer from the handover point. Under CIF the seller's minimum cover is narrower than under CIP. The desk names which applies once it knows the term (Incoterms 2020).

What it won't do

Outside the desk's brief, on purpose

Outside the desk's brief

A freight rate, a quote, or a booking — those depend on live capacity and contract terms a free tool can't see.
Sanctions or denied-party screening — that's a compliance act, not a desk answer, and it refuses the question outright rather than guess.
Dangerous-goods classification or stowage — a DG-competent person signs that.
Whether a specific route or port is open today — that's a fact with a half-life of hours; the answer names its own reference date and who to check with.
A licensed customs broker or freight forwarder's sign-off — confirm anything current with one before cargo actually moves.

Questions

Asked before, answered here

Is this the same as a customs broker's sign-off?

No. It's a written, sourced starting point — a licensed customs broker or freight forwarder still confirms rates, final HS codes and current regulations before anything ships.

Will it give me a freight rate or book a shipment?

No. The desk never states a price and never arranges carriage — both depend on live capacity and contract terms it can't see.

Can it help with dangerous goods or a sanctioned country or party?

No. Those trigger an immediate refusal rather than a guess — a DG-competent person or a compliance screening step has to handle them.

Do I need to already know the HS or commodity code?

No. Describe the item, what it's made of and what it's for; the desk works out an advisory classification and names the step that confirms the final code.

How long does it take to get an answer?

The conversation itself is instant. The written answer with sources goes to your work email — one per company, per calendar month.

What if my question is small — just an Incoterms point?

Ask it plainly. A question like 'who insures under FCA' gets a direct answer in one or two turns; the desk only asks for a full brief on a routing or documents problem.

Is the answer specific to my shipment, or generic advice?

Specific. It's built from an actual lookup against the UK Trade Tariff data for the commodity and route you described, and it won't state a code, rate or document name it can't trace back to that lookup.

A written answer with sources, plus the standard disclaimer and the logistics supplement: not a freight rate, a booking, sanctions screening or dangerous-goods advice — a licensed broker/forwarder confirms current requirements before anything ships.

This document is generated automatically from the details you enter; no competent or qualified person at Farwinger Limited, trading as Hobfolk, has reviewed it. It is not a design, safety, compliance, customs or legal sign-off, and it does not replace one. You are responsible for checking it against your actual project, the applicable standards and current regulations before you rely on it or issue it to anyone else. Farwinger Limited accepts no liability for loss or damage arising from reliance on it, so far as the law allows.