How do we split one order between sea and air freight without losing control of stock?

Main answer · Wecent Editorial Team

Short answer: Decide the air quantity from what you need before the sea shipment arrives, plus a buffer. Inspect the full order before it ships, then split into two shipments with separate packing lists, invoices, shipment references and carton marks. Record which batch codes go where. Book inventory as two incoming shipments with their own dates. For power banks, check air rules for lithium batteries, which are stricter than for chargers.

Decide the split

Estimate sales between the air arrival and the sea arrival. Add a buffer for delays. Everything else goes by sea. Air freight costs far more per unit, so keep the air portion as small as practical.

One inspection

Book inspection for the full order before splitting, so both shipments are covered by the same results. If production finishes in stages, inspect the air portion first and the rest later.

Documents

• Separate commercial invoices and packing lists for each shipment.
• Clear shipment references.
• Carton marks indicating shipment and carton numbers.
• Batch codes recorded per shipment.

Incoterms and costs

Agree with Wecent how the split affects Incoterms and costs, for example FOB for sea and EXW or FCA for air. Clarify who books each shipment.

Inventory control

Set up two incoming shipments in your inventory system with separate expected dates. Don’t sell the sea stock before it arrives. Reconcile quantities on arrival.

Customs

Each shipment clears customs separately. Make sure HS codes, values and compliance documents are consistent. Discrepancies between shipments cause delays.

Batteries

Chargers without batteries ship normally by air. Power banks and products with lithium batteries face dangerous-goods rules, quantity limits and extra documents for air freight. Plan these separately.

Payment

Agree payment milestones for split shipments. Some suppliers expect the balance before the first shipment; others accept per-shipment payment.

Labelling cartons

Mark air cartons clearly so they’re picked first in the factory and not mixed with sea cartons. Mixed cartons are the most common cause of the wrong stock arriving by air. A photo of the palletised air shipment before pickup is a simple check.

Arrival checks

On arrival, count cartons and check SKUs against the packing list before releasing stock to sales. Report discrepancies to the supplier and forwarder within the agreed time.

Communication

Share a simple table with Wecent and your forwarder: shipment, quantity per SKU, cartons, ready date, mode. Update it if anything changes.

Where this answer says confirm with Wecent, the detail is not published on the product page and has to come from the datasheet or the factory. General facts come from the standards bodies, regulators or device makers named in the text.