Ocean Help Center
This guide explains the public ocean container workflow from quote search to booking, shipping instructions, and final summary. It is written for customers using the FCL flow, not for staff-side processing and not for LCL quoting.
Start Here
Before requesting an ocean rate, make sure you know:
- the origin port
- the destination port
- the container type you need
- the commodity details you are actually shipping
- the shipper and consignee contact information
- whether the cargo is hazardous or has documentation constraints
The public ocean flow is built for FCL. If the shipment does not fit a full-container workflow, the screens in this guide are not the right path.
What UMV Means
UMV is your unique shipment reference number. Save it as soon as it appears, because it follows the shipment from quote to booking to shipping instructions to support.
Ocean Quote Page
The ocean quote page is the search step that defines the lane and the basic container request. Customers should think of it as a live rate request, not a generic interest form.
Core Inputs
The main public labels are:
- Origin Port
- Destination Port
- Container Type
- Cargo Details
Each port field also has a browse action. That matters because ocean rates are sensitive to exact port selection. Customers should use the port browser when they are unsure of the code or the exact port name instead of typing loosely.
What Happens While Searching
Once the required quote details are complete, the page requests current offers. Customers may also see recent quote history and stale-state handling. That is important because ocean pricing is not meant to live forever. If a quote is expired or stale, the safe action is to refresh the search rather than treating an old offer as current.
Choosing A Quote
When rates load, the customer should compare more than the total alone. The review should include carrier, route timing, transit expectations, and whether the container type matches the real shipment. The correct next action is Book This Rate on the option that truly fits the shipment.
Ocean Booking Wizard
The booking page is a four-panel sequence. It is designed to stop the customer from paying for a shipment that still has missing contacts or incomplete cargo detail.
Panel 1: Review
The first panel is intentionally locked down. Customers should use it to verify the offer they selected. It usually shows:
- the UMV reference
- carrier name
- container summary
- departure and arrival timing
- transit details
- the total cost tied to the selected offer
If anything is wrong here, the customer should stop before filling out contacts or payment. A booking page is not where to correct a fundamentally wrong quote choice.
Panel 2: Contacts
The contacts panel collects the parties tied to the booking. The page normally asks for both shipper and consignee information, including:
- company or name
- address line 1
- city
- postal code
- country
- contact name
- phone
Customers should enter the real operating contacts here. This is not just invoice information. It feeds the booking and later shipping-instruction steps.
Panel 3: Cargo Details
This panel turns the quote into a clearer shipment description. Customers normally see fields such as:
- Commodity Description
- HS Code
- Hazardous Cargo?
- UN Number when hazmat is enabled
- Special Instructions
If the hazmat toggle is turned on, the newly revealed inputs are not optional decoration. They are part of describing the cargo accurately enough to continue.
Panel 4: Payment And Submit
The last panel mounts PaymentsKit and typically includes a terms acknowledgement. Customers should expect the submit action to remain disabled until both conditions are true:
- payment has completed successfully
- the required acknowledgement has been accepted
If the button is still disabled, the usual cause is not a broken page. It is an unfinished payment or a required checkbox that has not been confirmed yet.
Shipping Instructions Page
Shipping instructions are the required follow-up after booking. Customers should treat this page as the operational document builder that turns a paid booking into a usable shipment record.
How The Page Is Organized
The page uses a progress-style sequence so the customer can work through one document area at a time. In practical terms, they are usually filling out four groups of information:
- equipment and seals
- cargo items
- party assignments
- document selection
Equipment And Seals
This area is where the container-level information is entered. Customers should expect seal rows and equipment-specific details that describe what is physically assigned.
Cargo Items
This section expands the shipment beyond the simplified booking view. Customers usually provide commodity, HS code, marks, package type, weight, and descriptive cargo lines here. If the booking was only broadly described earlier, this is where clarity becomes essential.
Party Assignments
This section confirms who is acting as shipper, consignee, and optionally notify party. Customers should make sure the parties chosen here match the real shipping documents they expect later.
House Or Master Bill Selection
The page also asks the customer to choose the document path, such as House B/L (HBOL) or Master B/L (MBOL). That choice should be made intentionally, because it changes the resulting document context.
Why Submit Stays Disabled
If the shipping-instructions submit action is disabled, the most likely causes are:
- a required equipment or seal section is incomplete
- a cargo line is still missing required values
- a required party assignment was not completed
- the document selection has not been made
Ocean Summary Page
The summary page confirms that the booking and shipping-instruction work was saved. It is also the easiest place for a customer to see the references and documents they will need later.
Customers should expect to see:
- UMV, booking, and payment references
- route and container summary details
- shipper and consignee cards
- document download cards
- next-step guidance for what happens after submission
This is a save-and-reference page. Customers should not leave it without saving the UMV and any available downloadable records.
Important Flow Rules
The most important public ocean rules are:
- ocean quotes can expire and should not be treated as permanent
- payment must finish before a booking can be submitted
- shipping instructions are a required follow-up after booking
- hazmat enables additional required fields such as UN Number
- the same UMV follows the shipment end to end
Screenshot Walkthrough
Quote Screens
Booking Screens
Summary Screens
Need More Help?
For public ocean questions, email support@u-movers.com with the lane, the container type, and the UMV reference shown on the quote, booking, or summary page.
Ocean FAQ
Does this help center cover LCL shipments?
No. The current public ocean workflow is focused on FCL container quoting and booking.
What happens if my port is not recognized?
The quote page validates ports asynchronously. If a port cannot be verified, the page can warn or block progress until the lane details are corrected.
Do I need to finish shipping instructions after booking?
Yes. Booking is not the end of the customer task. Shipping instructions are part of the required post-booking workflow.
Why is the booking submit button disabled?
The booking page requires both a successful payment event and agreement to the terms before carrier submission can happen.
What if my cargo is hazardous?
Set Hazardous Cargo? to yes. The page will reveal the UN Number field and expects the hazmat information to be completed accurately.
What documents are available on the summary page?
Customers can generally download the payment receipt, booking confirmation, and shipping instructions. Other document cards can stay disabled until the document exists.