Amazon: how does a package reach your doorstep?

 

If you regularly purchase from Amazon, have you ever wondered how the packages reach your doorstep? Let’s have a look at the supply chain.

Let’s say you are buying an item that is made in a factory in China. After fabrication, the product will go through an inspection. A worker will look for major defects and the likes and if there are not any, it will be packaged and labelled. Then, it will be loaded onto a pallet that will be sent into a shipping container. The manufacturer can ship the product in an Amazon-branded container or he can purchase space on another one through a freight forwarder. After that, the item will say bye-bye to the factory and leave via truck, rail or barge.

Once the shipping container is dropped off at the port, it is loaded on a cargo ship. A crane operator picks up the container and loads it on a designated spot on the ship, which will set off when it is fully loaded. It should be noted that it may stop at several ports along the way or go directly to its destination. The trip from China to Southern California can take up to 20 days.

To find out what happens when the cargo ship reaches its destination, keep following the articles posted on this blog.

Photo credit: hunt-er from Pixabay


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