Category: Ordering & payment

Payment terms are usually the last thing agreed and the first thing that causes a delay. Here is how we structure them, and why.

The standard structure

Why not 100% up front, or 100% on delivery

The deposit covers raw materials and the production slot; the balance is released against documents you can inspect. That split is what makes a first order possible between parties who have not traded before.

What you receive before paying the balance

• Photographs of your units, loaded or at the factory
• The VIN list for the container
• Draft shipping documents for your review

Check the invoice details — buyer name, port, description — before releasing the balance. Amending a bill of lading afterwards costs time and money.

On larger or repeat orders

Once a trading history exists, terms can be discussed — including documentary credit (L/C) at sight if that is how your bank prefers to work. Tell us which instrument you intend to use at the quotation stage, because it affects what we put in the offer.

What we will not do

We will not quote a price that only works if something unspecified changes later. The FOB or CIF figure in the quotation is the figure, and it is firm for 24 hours from issue.

Request a firm quotation →

Most first orders go well. The ones that go wrong usually go wrong for the same seven reasons — all of them avoidable before the order is placed.

1. Ordering the wrong emission standard

The binding constraint is what your registration authority accepts for a new imported vehicle, not what your neighbour imports. Confirm it in writing and put it on the order. It cannot be changed once production starts. More: emission standards for export.

2. Getting the steering side wrong

LHD and RHD are different builds, not conversions. Confirm your market’s requirement rather than assuming from the region. More: LHD and RHD.

3. A configuration mix that does not match your market

A container is not a catalogue. Ask your dealers which cab style and drivetrain they actually sell, then split the order to cover both ends of the range. More: work vs lifestyle pickup.

4. Buyer name that does not match the importer of record

Abbreviations and group-company names cause customs holds. The name on the invoice must match exactly.

5. Missing the pre-shipment inspection window

Some destinations require inspection in the country of export. If you raise it after the container is booked, the schedule moves.

6. Releasing the balance before checking the draft documents

Once the bill of lading is issued, corrections cost money. Read the draft first. More: payment terms.

7. Not planning parts with the vehicles

The first service comes round faster than the first reorder. Put a parts list in with the vehicle order so it ships consolidated. More: parts and service.

The habit that prevents all seven

Write your requirement down — destination, registration standard, steering side, cab style, drivetrain, transmission, quantity, port — and send it as one list. We return a firm quotation against that list, and everything is checkable before anything is built.

Send your requirement list →