Overview
An enquiry is not a technical acceptance certificate. Its purpose is to expose dependencies early so that the chartering team, owner, terminal, and cargo interests can investigate the same voyage instead of negotiating different interpretations of it.
Key takeaways
- Describe the cargo and quantity basis before suggesting a vessel size.
- Separate the intended voyage from optional ports and alternative parcels.
- Name the people responsible for technical review and commercial decisions.
- Date each revision so that freight indications remain traceable.
Start with the parcel that actually needs transport
The cargo description should identify the nominated grade or intended combination of grades, the source of the specification, and whether that information is provisional. A broad label such as crude oil rarely tells an owner everything needed to assess the employment. Supply the available cargo documentation through the agreed channel and identify the cargo specialist who will answer detailed questions.
State the quantity unit and its basis. If the commercial sale describes one measure while the chartering enquiry uses another, identify who will confirm the relationship. Do not silently substitute an assumed conversion or use a previous cargo's information. Make clear whether the enquiry concerns a firm quantity, a range, or a maximum subject to vessel and terminal review.
For a combined parcel, describe the commercial separation required between grades and the intended delivery obligations. Leave the technical assessment of segregation, capacity, and cargo handling to the responsible specialists. The enquiry should communicate the result the buyer requires, not prescribe how the vessel must achieve it.
Also explain who controls quantity flexibility. A seller's option, a charterer's option, and a tolerance requiring mutual agreement are different commercial propositions. An owner cannot value flexibility accurately if the decision maker and decision deadline remain hidden.
Define loading readiness independently from the date range
A requested loading window is meaningful only when connected to cargo readiness and terminal availability. Record whether the seller has confirmed supply, whether the terminal slot is allocated or requested, and when remaining conditions should be resolved. Avoid presenting an aspirational schedule as a confirmed programme.
Describe the load place precisely enough for the owner to seek relevant information. Where a terminal or berth remains undecided, name the unresolved choice and the process for making it. The class label VLCC does not establish that every vessel within that commercial category will be acceptable at a particular location.
The first enquiry should also say whether the loading window can move and what would trigger a change. Flexibility linked to a known upstream event is easier to assess than an unrestricted request to remain available. Identify the latest decision point after which the owner should no longer assume the original timing.
Keep commercial urgency separate from physical readiness. A buyer may urgently need crude while the seller still lacks a final loading allocation. Explaining both facts allows the market to respond with realistic alternatives rather than a superficially attractive offer that depends on unavailable cargo.
Make discharge options visible and bounded
A discharge range can serve a real trading purpose, but it creates uncertainty that should be described rather than concealed. Specify the intended first destination, the permitted alternatives under discussion, and the latest nomination point. Explain whether the alternatives are interchangeable or represent different commercial outcomes.
For example, delivery to a refinery and delivery into storage may involve different receiving arrangements and different decision makers. The enquiry should identify the party responsible for receiving confirmation at each location. It should also ask owners to identify which assumptions underlie their indication.
If a transfer operation is contemplated, flag that fact for separate specialist and commercial assessment. Do not treat it as an automatic substitute for a berth call. The relevant service arrangement, permissions, acceptance questions, timing, and allocation of expense need their own review before the alternative becomes a usable plan.
A long destination list can make an enquiry look flexible while reducing the usefulness of every response. Prefer a firm base voyage with specifically named options. This lets the team compare the base offers and then evaluate the additional value or expense of each option.
Use an enquiry evidence checklist
The following checklist is designed for a crude cargo assembly rather than a generic request for available tonnage. Each line should have an owner within the chartering organisation.
| Enquiry item | Evidence or clarification needed | Commercial consequence if unresolved |
|---|---|---|
| Grade and specification | Cargo desk confirms current description | Owner may price a different employment |
| Quantity and tolerance | Seller and charterer identify decision rights | Freight basis may remain incomparable |
| Loading readiness | Supply confirmation and slot status | Apparent window may be unusable |
| Delivery sequence | Receiver confirms intended parcel allocation | Optionality may conceal extra commitments |
| Vessel review | Named reviewers and submission channel | Offer can expire before decisions arrive |
| Revision control | Dated enquiry and change summary | Parties may negotiate obsolete assumptions |
Use the checklist to distinguish an unanswered question from an accepted assumption. Silence should not turn a tentative discharge plan into a firm instruction. When an answer changes, circulate the change to all relevant recipients and ask whether it affects price, timing, or willingness to proceed.
Keep screening separate from commercial selection
OCIMF describes SIRE 2.0 as a tanker inspection programme providing information for report recipients. Ask each responsible recipient for its own scoped assessment. SIRE programme overview.
A useful submission list names the vessel information requested, the receiving contact, the expected response path, and any known expiry or resubmission issue. Ask the reviewer to explain what remains pending rather than requesting a vague assurance that the ship is acceptable everywhere.
Commercial staff should not interpret a missing reply as approval. Equally, they should avoid rejecting a potentially suitable offer merely because one document has not reached the correct reviewer. The enquiry should make administrative gaps visible so they can be resolved without confusing them with substantive objections.
Fictional case: a crude programme with two receivers
A fictional trading desk assembles a VLCC cargo intended partly for a refinery and partly for a storage customer. Its first draft enquiry lists both discharge places but does not explain that the storage customer has not yet confirmed receipt.
The revised enquiry presents the refinery delivery as the base plan and storage as a conditional option. It identifies the outstanding receiver decision, sets a nomination deadline for commercial discussion, and asks owners to state their assumptions if the option disappears. Cargo documentation is routed to the owner's specialist while terminal review follows a separate contact list.
The desk now receives offers it can compare. More importantly, it knows which offer still works if the storage leg falls away. The improvement comes from defining the decision rather than adding more descriptive language to the cargo name.
Common mistakes
Copying an old enquiry can preserve an obsolete terminal name, quantity basis, or receiving contact. Treat the previous document as a prompt for questions and check every voyage-specific field before circulation.
Another mistake is asking for a firm offer while leaving material options unrestricted. If the business genuinely remains open, request an indication against stated assumptions and explain what must happen before a firmer commitment is possible.
Finally, avoid sending technical attachments without a commercial summary. A complete document pack can still leave an owner uncertain about the intended voyage, priority decision, and deadline.
Where Zeaclub fits
Zeaclub provides a multi-party shared workspace for owners, charterers, brokers and port agents.
Zeaclub offers digitalised procedures across the voyage workflow.
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Educational information only; not legal, financial or trading advice. Contract wording and applicable rules control. Verify current requirements and obtain qualified advice before acting.
Frequently asked questions
Does naming VLCC establish the cargo quantity?
No. State the required parcel explicitly, including the measurement basis and flexibility. The proposed vessel must then be assessed against that parcel and the intended places by the responsible parties.
Should every possible discharge location appear in the first enquiry?
Include options that are genuinely under consideration, but distinguish them from the base voyage. A speculative list makes pricing less informative and can distract from the destination most likely to be used.
Can an enquiry be circulated before terminal confirmation?
It can be useful as a clearly conditional market enquiry. Explain what confirmation remains outstanding and avoid presenting the resulting responses as evidence that the terminal has accepted the ship or programme.
Who should own enquiry revisions?
Assign one commercial coordinator to maintain the current version while specialists own their respective inputs. The coordinator should record changes and obtain renewed responses when those changes affect the basis of an offer.