Where damage actually happens
Damage during a journey is often attributed to the long middle of it, the days at sea or in a truck. In practice, a large share of avoidable damage happens at the interfaces: when cargo is lifted onto a vehicle, moved between vehicles, placed in a container, stacked in a warehouse or taken off at the end. Each interface adds a handler, a piece of equipment and a decision about how to hold the load.
That makes the interface the right place to invest attention. Two things reduce risk there: information that tells the handler how the cargo should be treated, and a record that shows how it looked when it changed hands.
What packing information should travel with the cargo
Information is only useful if the person handling the cargo can see it. Put it on the package and on the documents.
- The number of packages and a package identifier, so every piece can be counted and matched.
- Gross weight and dimensions of each package, marked on the outside.
- Handling marks that match the cargo: this way up, keep dry, fragile. Marks should be applied only when they are true and visible on several faces.
- Stacking limits, where the cargo cannot take weight on top.
- A scannable identifier, where the supply chain uses one. The GS1 Logistic Label Guideline describes a serial shipping container code that identifies a logistic unit such as a pallet, so that it can be tracked from one handover to the next.
Packaging is cargo-specific
No article can tell you whether your packaging is suitable. A carton that suits folded clothing may crush a glass item, and a crate that protects a machine part on a smooth road may not survive being stuffed into a container and secured for a long voyage. The IMO, ILO and UNECE Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units addresses the packing and securing of cargo in containers and other transport units, and it is the right reference for how cargo should be arranged inside one. It is non-binding guidance, and it does not replace a packaging test for your product.
Where the cargo is fragile, heavy or unusual, the practical step is to ask the party who will stuff or load it what they need, and to send photographs of the packed cargo before it ships.
The condition record
A condition record is a short, factual statement made at each handover. It does not assign blame. It fixes what was true at a given time.
| Record at dispatch | Record at receipt |
|---|---|
| Date, time and place | Date, time and place |
| Count of packages, matched to the packing list | Count of packages, matched to the transport document |
| Visible condition of each package: intact, dented, wet, opened | Visible condition of each package against the dispatch record |
| Seal numbers, where seals are used | Seal numbers checked against the record |
| Photographs of the packages and the loaded vehicle or container | Photographs of the same, and of any exception |
| Name of the person handing over | Name of the person receiving, and a note of any remark they made |
A hypothetical dispatch note
Hypothetical example, invented for illustration
"12 cartons, numbered 1/12 to 12/12, 18 kg each. Cartons 4 and 9 have a dented corner, photographed. All cartons dry. Pallet wrapped with two layers of film, one strap. Handed to the driver at 14:20, seal not applicable. Receiver’s dock closes at 16:00."
A note of this kind costs two minutes. If carton 4 arrives damaged, the argument starts from a record, not from memory.
When something is wrong at receipt
- Note the exception on the receipt document before signing, in specific words: "carton 4 crushed, contents wet", not "damaged".
- Photograph the cargo as received, including the outside packaging and any labels.
- Keep the packaging until the matter is resolved.
- Tell the forwarder and the party you contracted with in writing, the same day if you can, with the photographs and the record.
- Ask what time limits apply to a claim under your contract and the carrier’s conditions. Time limits can be short.
Photographs that help, and photographs that do not
A photograph is evidence only if it can be matched to a package and a moment. Include a label or package number in the frame, shoot the whole package first and the damage second, and keep the original files with their timestamps instead of forwarding compressed copies. A close-up of a dent without context cannot be tied to carton 4 or to any carton at all.
At dispatch, photograph the loaded vehicle or container before the doors are closed, and again at the seal. At receipt, photograph the seal before it is broken. These three images take under a minute and answer most of the first questions that follow a damage report.
Agree beforehand who takes the photographs and where they are stored, so that the record does not depend on one person’s phone.
Limits of this guide
Handover records support a claim; they do not guarantee one. Liability depends on the contract, the transport document and the applicable conditions. The advice here is general and cannot judge whether a given packing is adequate for a given cargo. For heavy or unusual cargo, involve someone qualified in packing and securing, and use the CTU Code and the CSS Code as references for how cargo is stowed and secured, not as a substitute for their judgment.