Liner agency
Shipping line agent
A liner agency is a company that represents a shipping line in a port or country. It handles bookings, documents, collections and equipment on the line's behalf.
What it is
A liner agency is a local company appointed by a shipping line or NVOCC, the principal, to act for it in a port, region or country. The agent sells the principal's services, accepts bookings, issues bills of lading and delivery orders in the principal's name, collects freight and local charges, and looks after the principal's containers. It works under an agency agreement and earns commission or fees.
How it works in practice
Day to day, the agent coordinates with terminals, depots, customs and customers for each vessel call. It files manifests, sends arrival notices, releases cargo, controls empty and laden equipment, and applies the principal's tariffs for detention and local charges. Money collected belongs to the principal after the agent's commission and approved disbursements, and is reported in a periodic statement of account with supporting documents.
Why it matters
The relationship rests on accountability. The principal needs to see what was collected, what was spent, and where every container is, and the agent needs to show it followed instructions on rates, free time and releases. Agents that represent several lines must keep each principal's tariffs, equipment and funds apart. Disputes usually arise over unremitted balances, unauthorized waivers and missing equipment.
In Sailix
How Sailix handles it
Sailix records each shipping line under Line Management and keeps bookings, detention profiles and containers against the line. The Agent SOA builds the statement of account for agency and line transactions month by month, with carry forward and settlement, and an SOA report gives a summary per principal with currency conversion. Vessel voyage schedules hold ETA, ETD, arrival and sail status.
- Agent statement of accountA statement of account per principal line with annexures, month closing, carry forward, debit notes, settlement and an Excel workbook.
- Line managementSet up each principal shipping line with contacts, tax and bank details, agreement, commission and a port-wise cost matrix imported from Excel.
- Vessel and voyage schedulesKeep a vessel master, a voyage master with ETA, ETD and port details, and published vessel voyage schedules that quotations can pick from.
Related terms
- NVOCCAn NVOCC is a carrier that sells ocean freight under its own bills of lading without operating ships. It buys space from vessel operators instead.
- Delivery orderA delivery order is the carrier's or agent's instruction to release cargo or containers to the consignee. It is addressed to the terminal, depot or CFS and names the consignee or its agent.
- DetentionDetention is a charge for keeping a carrier's container outside the port or terminal beyond the free time. It runs until the empty is returned or the full is gated in.
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