Ocean Import jobs are used to manage inbound sea freight shipments. This module captures all operational, documentation, and financial details for both Master Bills of Lading (MBL) and House Bills of Lading (HBL).

At the top of the job form, you can toggle between Master level and House level views. Both levels share a similar tab structure but are separated so that you can maintain different partner, routing, and charge details where required.

Tabs in Ocean Import

Basic Info

This is where you set up the key shipment information.

Fields include:

• Job Type (Ocean Import)

• MBL Number (mandatory)

• Routing details

  • POL (Port of Loading)

  • POD (Port of Discharge)

  • ETD, ETA (ETA is optional but recommended)

  • Vessel & Voyage

• Shipment Administration

  • Incoterms (e.g., CY–CY, Door–Door)

  • Service Type

• Partners

  • Shipper

  • Consignee

  • Notify Party

  • Overseas Agent

  • Carrier / Co-loader

• Direct Master toggle

  • Switch on if no HBLs exist, and you want printouts to pull details directly from the Master.

Ocean Import - Basic Info Tab on MBL

Ocean Import - Basic Info Tab on HBL

Container Info

This tab is specific to Ocean shipments.

Master Level:

• Container List (Number, Size/Type, Seal Number, Status)

• Remarks

House Level:

• Container List (linked to the master)

• Commodity List (Description, HS Code, Gross Weight, Volume, Pieces)

• Marks & Numbers

• Remarks

Ocean Import - Container Tab on HBL

Job Estimations

Used to manage projected sales and vendor costs.

• Sales Charges – usually carried forward from the quotation if converted.

• Vendor Costs – add or adjust as actual costs come in.

• Currency and exchange rate can be updated at job level if required.

Ocean Import - Job Estimation Tab

Accounting

Once the job is operationally complete, use the Accounting tab to manage invoicing.

• Customer Invoices – generated from sales charges.

• Vendor Bills – entered for carriers, co-loaders, truckers, or customs brokers.

• Payments – record and reconcile against invoices.

Ocean Import - Accounting Tab

Master vs House Level

• Master (MBL): Captures vessel schedule, carrier, and overall routing.

• House (HBL): Captures consignee, overseas agent, and other partner-specific details.

• Printouts can be generated from either level depending on the Direct Master toggle.

Ocean Import - MBL View	Ocean Import - HBL View

Common Actions in Ocean Import

• Create HBL(s): Add one or more HBLs under the Master to manage multiple consignees.

• BL Surrender/Express Toggle (HBL level): Changes the BL status in printouts (e.g., Surrendered, Express Release).

• Link to Quotation: If the job was manually created, you can later link it to a quotation for consistency.

Ocean Import - Original/Surrender/Express BL options

When to Use Ocean Import

• For inbound sea shipments, either FCL (Full Container Load) or LCL (Less than Container Load).

• Use when you need to manage both MBL and HBL in a structured way.

• Choose this module when the shipment requires detailed container tracking and house/master BL separation.

Documentation owner: Fr8Labs Customer Success. Text reviewed: 21 September 2026.