September 20, 2022
There is nothing worse than inspecting your freight only to find concealed damage. It will not only incur significant financial losses but can hurt your reputation, customer relationships, and company growth. Knowing some of the common situations that cause freight damage is your best weapon so that you are able to properly inspect cargo upon arrival. If you are on the shipping side, there are some preventive measures to take protect and ship cargo safely.
How Does Cargo Get Damaged?
Some damages are unforeseen while others can be prevented by proper handling. Common reasons for freight damage include:
- Reckless driving, rough roads, unpredictable weather conditions, and car incidents can cause mishaps
- Stacking boxes unevenly, placing cargo haphazardly, and not following instructions
- Careless handling
- Poor packaging, incorrect sealing, and improper cushioning
- Uneven weight distribution, excessive cargo weight, and improper handling of oversized cargo
- Negligence by the warehouse or shipper
- Putting cargo at risk due to taking shortcuts to save money and time. This typically occurs when shipping blocks of material, granite, steel, and other heavy items
- Lack of knowledge about the type, dimensions, and weight of cargo to be shipped
- Not inspecting cargo to ensure it is properly secured
Common Cargo-Related Claims
Each year insurance companies get hundreds of thousands of complaints by both shippers and consignees. Physical damage is the most common cargo claim, followed by reefer related, containers lost overboard, theft, wet, shortage, sinking, contamination, and infestation.
Physical Damage
Physical damage typically occurs when items get damaged due to knocking, breakage, rolling, and dropping.
Reefer Related
This typically occurs due to power failure, mishandling, or breakdown of reefer equipment. It can also occur due to not precooling cargo, incorrect setting of temperature, improper packaging, and overloading of cargo.
Infestation
Infestation damage is caused by rodents, animals, or insects in cargo. It can occur when containers from previous cargo are not properly inspected for insects. Infestation can also happen when insects or rodents are transferred from an infested warehouse during the loading of cargo. The presence of a large number of pests can cause disease and damage to containers and cargo itself.
Preventive Measures
When packing cargo for shipping, there are some steps to take to prevent damage:
- Place on cradle, crate, and box heavy items
- Place heavy items at the bottom for maximum stability
- Distribute weight evenly
- Be careful not to exceed maximum weight and dimensions
- Observe packing guidelines for hazardous goods
There are also some measures to observe to prevent reefer related damage, including that containers are cleaned, pre-cooled when required, and set to the correct temperature during transit. Placing containers in open and humid environments should be avoided. When shipping cargo by sea, you should also take some measures to prevent infestation damage. Request that your carrier provides food grade containers when shipping food cargo and ensure it is kept free of rodents and insects during storage.
FAQs
Improper stuffing and lashing
Shifting cargo and uneven weight distribution are some of the most common causes of cargo damage, in addition to bad packaging, choosing inadequate containers, improper loading of the pallets and poor labeling.
What is the possible reason that contributes to the damage of cargo compartments and aircraft? ›
The main cause of physical damage is bad stowage inside the container resulting in damages. Bad stowage includes incorrect, improper, and insufficient lashing (not using enough dunnage, chocking, lashing materials), incorrect weight distribution, improper loading affecting the stability of the cargo.
How do you prevent damage to cargo during the loading and unloading process? ›
12 Ways to Prevent Cargo Damage in Supply Chain
- Shipment damage prevention starts with adequate packaging practices. ...
- Adopt adequate palletizing techniques. ...
- Avoid extra-handling and reduce manpower resources by appropriate labelling. ...
- Improve your loading practices. ...
- Include an effective containerization process.
7 Ways to Prevent Shipping Damage
- Shipping Damage Prevention.
- Start with the Freight Process.
- Fill Void Space.
- Use Sturdy Outer Materials.
- Increase Water Resistance.
- Separate Fragile Materials.
- Properly Label Packages.
- Buy Parcel Insurance.
Insurers are dealing with cargo claims on a regular basis, the main contributory cause being bad stowage. With millions of containers in global circulation, this can be a serious issue for carriers. While bad stowage is a major cause, there are plenty of other reasons for cargo claims.
What to do when cargo is damaged? ›
You will want to contact the carrier as soon as you notice any damage, and follow their instructions on how to file a claim. If your cargo gets damaged during transport, you'll need to contact your shipping company and notify them of the damages. The shipping company will then give you instructions on how to proceed.
What are the safety tips for cargo handling? ›
This Side Up: Five Cargo Handling Safety Tips
- Tip #1: Always Keep Deck Officers On Duty When Moving Cargo.
- Tip #2: Maintain Proper Safety Equipment.
- Tip #3: Always Be Aware Of Shelter Positions.
- Tip #4: Ensure Ventilation Of Cargo Holds & Confined Spaces.
- Tip #5: Always Communicate Concerns To A Supervisor.
The first step to prevent damage to goods in transit is to choose the right packaging for your products. Packaging should be sturdy, durable, and suitable for the mode of transportation, the weather conditions, and the handling procedures.
How could damage to cargo occur in a general cargo ship? ›
Damage can occur when goods are exposed to seawater regress, wet conditions, humidity, and water. Ships sail through different climatic zones, including more humid climates. Moisture can cause “container rain” when condensing into droplets within the containers.
What are the causes of damage to a bulk carrier cargo space? ›
Leaking hatch covers are the most common wet damage cause followed by heavy weather. These are usually closely connected as seawater has entered the cargo hold through leaking cargo hatch covers during heavy weather. Proper weathertightness is a key factor in keeping cargo dry.
Top Tips to Avoid Cargo Damage in the Supply Chain
- Employ Adequate Palletizing Techniques.
- Implementing Proper Labelling to Save Personnel Resources and Avoid Additional Handling.
- Optimize your Loading Techniques.
- Stop Container Sweating and Rain.
- The Importance of Warehouse Conditions in Reducing Cargo Damages.
Cargo damage may occur due to 5 causes: human, methods, machines or tools, environment and material.
Why is it important to minimize cargo damage? ›
Here we list some reasons why it's so important to minimise cargo damage as much as possible: Insurance. The most noticeable loss when dealing with cargo or freight damage is that, in most cases, the insurance doesn't cover the value of the material lost.
What is the most common cause of cargo damage due to heavy weather conditions for bulkers? ›
Bulker vessels
When a Bulk vessel encounters heavy weather the most common immediate cause of cargo damage is leaking cargo hatches as we can see from the cases below.
What are the top five causes of loss for cargo ships according to the report? ›
- Question: what are the top five causes of loss for cargo ships according to the report? A: Foundered, Wrecked/stranded, Fire/explosion, Machinery damage, Hull damage. Could the use of autonomous cargo ships resolve any of these causes of loss? ...
- Here's the best way to solve it. Who are the experts?
The most common cause of product damage during shipment is that the packaging material was not strong enough. Poor quality packaging or packaging that is not suitable for the goods often results in damage of all kinds.
What are the more likely causes of damage to the cargo holds internal structure on a general cargo vessel? ›
Leaking hatch covers are the most common wet damage cause followed by heavy weather. These are usually closely connected as seawater has entered the cargo hold through leaking cargo hatch covers during heavy weather.
