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International shipment templates and Incoterms 2020 matrix: the international shipments kit
Every border job clear from instruction to closed file.
Updated 20 October 2026 · Steplane is built by Paul, a logistics process specialist with over 13 years in logistics, including at some of the biggest freight forwarders in the world.
The international shipments kit covers the nine steps of a door-to-door job across a border, from the customer's instruction to a closed file. It includes a shipment instruction and job sheet, an Incoterms 2020 responsibility matrix with all 11 rules, a milestone tracker with delay flags and customer update emails. It works for road, air, ocean, rail and multimodal jobs. €49 (about $55).
Key facts
- 5 files: process and rollout plan, shipment instruction and job sheet, Incoterms 2020 responsibility matrix, milestone tracker (Excel), customer update emails.
- The job sheet splits every leg and cost between seller and buyer by the Incoterms rule and named place.
- The milestone tracker flags late and overdue milestones and tells you when the customer needs an update.
- EU and US versions; editable in Word and Excel.
- Comes with transport mode supplements (Word) for the modes you handle: road, air, ocean, rail and multimodal. Each one lists what changes in this process for that mode.
EU and US versions. Download right away after payment. Or get any 3 kits for €99 (about $110) or all 10 for €249 (about $280).
What's inside
| # | File | What it does | EU version | US version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Process and rollout plan | Nine steps with owners and records, Incoterms 2020 in practice, choosing the mode and routing with carrier liability limits, the insurance decision and five rollout checks. | CMR, Hague-Visby, CIM, AEO | COGSA, US domestic FOB terms, CTPAT |
| 2 | Shipment instruction and job sheet | Parties, goods, Incoterms rule and named place, cost split, legs and cut-offs, customs references, insurance and the file close. | Commodity code, MRN | HTS / Schedule B code, ITN, entry number |
| 3 | Incoterms 2020 responsibility matrix | All 11 rules on one page: where risk passes, who pays the main carriage, export and import clearance, insurance and what to watch out for. | Same | Same |
| 4 | Milestone tracker (Excel) | Planned and actual dates for eight milestones per job, late and overdue flags, customer update reminders and a summary per mode. | Same | Same |
| 5 | Customer update emails | Six emails to the customer, from booking confirmed and the insurance decision to delay and delivered, plus a pre-alert to the destination agent. | Same | Same |
Files in the EU and US downloads: 1 Process-and-rollout-plan.docx, 2 Shipment-instruction-and-job-sheet.docx, 3 Incoterms-2020-responsibility-matrix.docx, 4 Milestone-tracker.xlsx, 5 Customer-update-emails.docx. Word (.docx) and Excel (.xlsx), fully editable. Plus the transport mode supplements for the modes you handle.
What the files look like
Previews of the European version. Every file is fully editable; replace everything in [brackets] with your own details.
The process it covers
Each step has one owner, a clear start and a record that proves it happened. This is the EU version; the US version uses US terms.
| # | Step | Owner | Starts when | Record kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Take the shipment instruction | Customer service | Customer asks to move goods across a border | Job sheet: parties, goods, Incoterms rule and named place, ready date |
| 2 | Check the Incoterms rule | Operations | Instruction received | Who arranges and pays each leg, export and import clearance and insurance, and where risk passes, written on the job sheet |
| 3 | Choose the mode and routing | Operations | Incoterms rule checked | Mode, legs, transit time and cost agreed with the customer |
| 4 | Book the main leg, pre- and on-carriage | Operations | Routing agreed | Booking confirmations with cut-offs; legs and planned dates on the tracker |
| 5 | Export formalities | Operations and customs agent | Booking confirmed | Export declaration and MRN; documents handled with the documents and customs kit |
| 6 | Decide on cargo insurance | Sales or operations | Before departure | Cover arranged, or the customer's written decision not to insure |
| 7 | Track milestones and update the customer | Operations | Each planned milestone date | Actual dates on the tracker; update sent at each milestone and at once for any delay |
| 8 | Import side and delivery | Destination agent and operations | Arrival notice received | Import clearance and duties by the right party, delivery booked, POD |
| 9 | Close the file | Operations and billing | POD received | All costs in, invoiced to the right party, documents filed, file closed |
Who it is for
Freight forwarders and transport companies that move goods across borders by road, air, ocean, rail or several modes, and want every job to start with a clear Incoterms split and end with a closed file.
Small and medium freight forwarding, transport and logistics companies in Europe and the US, working by road, air, ocean or rail. It works whether your processes are written down today or not.
Questions
Which Incoterms version does it use?
Incoterms 2020, all 11 rules. The matrix is a summary for operations, checked against the ICC rules. The full published rules and your sales contract decide.
Does it cover the customs declarations?
Step 5 hands over to the shipment documents and customs kit. The job sheet records who clears export and import and the references: MRN in the EU version, ITN and entry number in the US version.
Why ask the customer about cargo insurance?
Carrier liability is limited, for example 8.33 SDR per kg under CMR and 26 SDR per kg under the Montreal Convention, and is often far below the value of the goods. The kit has an email that asks the customer to decide in writing before departure.
Who in my company can use the files?
Everyone in your own company: all staff and all branches, as often as you like. You can share the filled-in documents with customers, carriers and auditors. You cannot resell or give away the templates themselves.
Which programs do I need?
A program that opens Word and Excel files. The files are standard .docx and .xlsx, so they open in all common office programs.
When do I get the kit?
Straight after payment: a download link on screen and by email. The link works for 30 days; if it expires, write to hello@getsteplane.com with your order number and we send a new one.
Can I get an invoice with my company and VAT number?
Yes. Write to hello@getsteplane.com with your order number, company details and VAT number and we send the invoice.
What if the kit is not useful to us?
Email hello@getsteplane.com within 14 days of purchase and we refund the full price. You do not have to give a reason. See the terms.
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