The safety and the condition of the container are very important for the importer when they want to ship their products. The long transport time and uncertain conditions during the shipping time become the two main reasons why checking the container condition before the loading is necessary to do.
There are several points that you need to ensure before confirming that the container is in a good condition and has no damage, as follows:
THINGS TO BE ENSURE OUTSIDE OF THE CONTAINER:
- Make sure there are no holes or cracks on the container surfaces because this is one of the easiest ways for water or air to get into the container.
- The container’s doors and the closing devices must work properly also to avoid the water or air getting into the container that can be damaging the product inside the container.
- Make sure there are no adhesive labels from the previous shipment, such as IMO placards. This is necessary to be checked to avoid any hassles at the port.
THINGS TO BE ENSURE INSIDE THE CONTAINER:
- Make sure there are no cracks or holes in the container.
- Make sure the container is in clean, dry, and not damp conditions
- Make sure the container has no nails or other bumps which could damage the products inside the container.
WHAT IS CONTAINER DAMAGE AND WHAT CAUSES IT?
Before arriving at its final destination, the container is physically handled at several locations by various parties. Water damage, improper lashing, and mishandling of the container while loading and unloading are the most common causes of cargo damage.
There are five types of container damage, i.e.
- Physical damage
Physical damage occurs when the container is broken after dropping, bumping, rolling, or being knocked during transit. Most of the physical damages are caused by the use of improper lashing, misplaced dunnage, or choking materials.
- Water damage
When the water gets into the container because there is a hole on the container surface, it can damage the products inside the container. This damage can cause rusting and corrosion of the container walls. It is caused by a lack of appropriate desiccants, damaged sealing gaskets, container holes, and flooded ship holds.
- Contamination damage
Pollution, not being properly cleaned, or exposure to weather elements are some of the causes of contaminated containers. Furthermore, a lack of proper separation of goods in the same cargo space also can cause this damage.
- Infestation damage
The insects or animals, especially rodents, in a container, cause infestation damage. This damage also leads to contamination damage due to the parasites from the animal, making the cargo unsafe for further shipment if it is not properly clean. This damage also could delay the shipment time because the health authorities have to inspect the container.
HOW TO PREVENT CONTAINER DAMAGE?
Damaged shipping containers could cost you more money and time to handle the issue. Conducting container loading supervision as a preventive action could be your solution to minimize the issue.
The Container Loading Supervision (CLS) will take place right before the vendor/factory/manufacturer is supposed to load the goods inside the container; it is aimed to supervise the loading process. This Container Loading Supervision usually takes place at the factory. It can also be performed at your forwarder’s premises. Furthermore, some highlights of this inspection are the status and the condition of the container, the quantity of the boxes, and how the manufacturer loads the products into the container.
Contact us for more information about The Container Loading Supervision in Indonesia.