A route in legs
A domestic shipment between islands is usually built from three legs:
- Road to the port. Collection from the sender and delivery to the port of loading.
- Sea. A container, general cargo or bulk sailing to the port of discharge.
- Road to the door. Collection at the port and delivery to the receiver.
Each leg has its own booking, timing and paperwork. The handovers between them are where delays usually start, so we plan the legs together and tell you each step before it happens.
Containers, general cargo and bulk
- Containers suit packed goods and offer a sealed, secure unit from door to door. See inter-island container shipping.
- General cargo suits goods that do not fit a container well, such as machinery, drums or bagged goods. See inter-island general cargo.
- Bulk and barges suit large quantities of loose cargo such as minerals and ores or agricultural commodities, including coastal and river routes. See bulk and chartering.
Some domestic legs also connect to international sailings, so cargo from one island can reach an overseas destination through a larger port.
Indonesian-flagged vessels for domestic carriage
Indonesia applies the cabotage principle: carrying goods by sea between Indonesian ports is reserved for Indonesian shipping companies using Indonesian-flagged vessels, under the Shipping Law (Law No. 17 of 2008, as amended). For you, it means domestic sea legs are booked on vessels permitted to carry them. We arrange domestic legs on that basis.
Import and export paperwork
Cargo entering or leaving Indonesia is declared to customs:
- the PIB (Pemberitahuan Impor Barang) for imports;
- the PEB (Pemberitahuan Ekspor Barang) for exports.
Declarations are filed electronically through the national single window (INSW) by the importer or exporter, or by a licensed customs broker (PPJK) acting for them. We coordinate customs clearance with licensed customs brokers. See shipping documents.
Planning notes
- Port access differs. Ports vary in the size of vessel and the equipment they can handle. Heavy or oversized pieces need a check of the lifting gear at each end.
- Sea conditions affect schedules. Weather can move sailings. A plan should allow for it rather than assume a fixed date.
- The last mile matters. Roads, bridges and site access at the destination can decide the truck size and the delivery day.
We look at these when we set out the route, and tell you what is known and what is not.