What Is a Carting Order?

A carting order, also referred to as a cart chit or cart ticket, is a type of shipping document that is used as an instruction to permit cargo to enter a seaport. It is essentially a form of control document, which is primarily used in India and is designed to regulate (through acceptance and rejection) the movement of goods into the port and dock shed. 

A carting order is typically prepared by a freight forwarder or clearing and forwarding (C&F) agent on behalf of an exporter when moving cargo from a warehouse into the port premises and contains vital shipping and cargo information. 

Once the vessel has a nominated berth, instructions are given from the Deputy Manager to the Shed Superintendent and Gate Inspector to start receiving carting orders for the incoming cargo. 

Upon physical delivery of the cargo, the forwarding agent submits the carting order to the Gate Inspector, which is subsequently passed to the dock office. There, the relevant shipping and cargo information from the cart chit is entered into an Integrated Port Operating System (IPOS).

Carting for storage will depend on space availability in the shed (a temporary storage location where the cargo is held before it gets loaded onto the vessel). All approved carting orders are marked with “Please Pass”, while all rejected carting orders are marked with “Rejected”.

What Information Does a Carting Order Contain?

The cart ticket contains important information, such as the shipping bill number, port of loading, port of discharge, C&F agent details, as well as other relevant shipment and cargo details. We’ve outlined the most important details below.

• Shipping Bill Number – A shipping bill is a document that is generated from the Custom’s EDI system. Once it’s generated it is marked with a unique identification number, which acts as a reference for the carting chit.

• Port of Loading – The port of loading is the port at which the cargo is being received and loaded onto its intended vessel. 

• Port of Discharge – The port of discharge is also known as the destination port where the cargo is unloaded. 

• Cargo Details – The carting order will also contain details about the cargo such as description, quantity, weight, and volume.

• C&F Agent Details – The clearing and forwarding agent’s company name and address, which issues the carting order.

• Vessel Name & Voyage – The name of the vessel and its assigned voyage number.

• Date & Signature – The name and signature of the person from the C&F company, who issued the carting order, as well as the date of issuance. 

Who Issues a Carting Order?

As a carting order is a document requesting access into the port premises (the shed in particular), it is typically issued by the C&F agent of the exporter. It is created on their behalf and is submitted when the cargo is picked up from their warehouse and gated in the port. 

When Are Some Carting Orders Rejected?

Without a carting order, the cargo is not able to enter the port and also cannot be temporarily stored in the assigned shed before it’s loaded onto the vessel. There are two main reasons why carting chits are rejected, which we’ve outlined below. 

Incorrect Shipping & Cargo Details 

One of the most common reasons why a carting order is rejected is due to incorrect information on the carting chit. It’s important that the details such as the shipping bill number, shipping details, and cargo information are accurately reflected, as they are being verified by the port trust. 

Incorrect Submission Time

Carting orders are a prerequisite to gate cargo into the port and have the cargo temporarily stored in the dock shed. Therefore, the carting order needs to be submitted after the vessel has been assigned a berth by the Deputy Manager and before the cargo is gated in.