Many a time, you would feel disheartened to know that the cargo you booked has not reached the destination port on time. What are the causes for such delays, and why do freight forwarders have no control over such situations?

Shipping container vessels abide by stringent safety procedures and time-bound schedules at ports of call. In the course of such port stays, the deck officers shoulder the responsibility of keeping a watch over the loading and discharge of cargo, as well as other activities happening onboard. As we can guess, for deck officers, port stays are often more demanding and stressful than uneventful days at sea.

The Federation of Freight Owners Association describes abandoned cargo as goods which the consignee has no intention to take delivery even after the elapse of a reasonable period of its arrival at the destination port. It also includes instances where the consignee cannot be identified or located. 

Every year, insurance companies spend significant sums of money to settle wet-cargo damage claims from shippers. Water-entry into the cargo hold of ships and the resultant damage is one of the main causes. The right application of weather-tight steel covers, known as “Hatch Covers” plays a critical role in the protection of cargo from the ingress of water.  

Container Ramp is a levelling device used to make way for the height difference between a storage place (warehouse or building) and a transporting vehicle or shipping container. It creates a smooth passage for forklift trucks to carry cargo on and off the containers and loading bays. We commonly come across ramps in and around warehouses, shipping and locomotive yards. Ramps compensate for the height difference and the horizontal gap between the container and the loading bay in such a way that forklift trucks and pallet jacks can move in and out of the containers with goods safely, eliminating the need to fix a permanently raised structure. It also benefits in places having no loading bays, and the ramps act as an ascending bridge between the ground and the floor of the container.

Imagine when it comes to transporting goods in shipping containers, why should we display a sense of complacency with an instinctive trust that the consignment would be in safe hands till it reaches its final destination?  In reality, many a time we are caught on the wrong foot and will regret the casual attitude adopted while stuffing containers with goods and handing them over to the shipper without giving a second thought about the security of the valuable contents inside. 

One-fourth of all cargo loss and damage that occur during shipments arise as a result of poorly fastened cargo boxes and objects carried inside containers, studies have revealed. This loss is largely preventable with care, attention and the application of guidelines stipulated for securing cargo inside the containers.