Articles related to container types, sizes and structure
BIC (Bureau International des Containers) and DCSA (Digital Container Shipping Association) today announced completion of their collaboration to standardize the codes used to identify facilities such as depots, container yards, M&R vendors and other supply chain container facilities.
Cargo insurance is a type of insurance that protects a buyer or seller of goods against damages or loss of cargo..
Despite insurance having been around for centuries, there is still a feeling that any form of insurance is a “grudge purchase” and in the case of cargo shipments, many people ask the question “Do I need cargo insurance for my shipment“..??
By its nature, insurance is an intangible benefit, one that can only be tested under adverse circumstances and there is nothing more adverse than cargo damage..
From a
• Local (Street to Street, City to City, Town to Town etc)
• Provincial (Within the same province or state etc)
• National (Province to Province, State to State etc)
• Global (International trade between countries)
• Regional (Within regional trade blocs like EU, BRICS etc)
there are several modes and types of trade/shipments around the world..
Where there is a shipment, there is a possibility of cargo damage and where there is the possibility of cargo damage………………….
Five international freight transport and cargo handling organisations are collaborating on the production of new guidance on packing standards for freight containers and other cargo transport units. The Container Owners Association, the Global Shippers Forum, the International Cargo Handling Co-ordination Association, the TT Club and the World Shipping Council are co-operating on a range of activities to further the adoption … Read more here..
Misdeclaration of container weights has been an issue that has been going on for a long time and has plagued many a shipping line, ship and port operators..
In a recent article, I wrote about the basics of container stowage planning and why it is so important..
In this article, I thought it would be worth reiterating the importance of being accurate in the declaration of the weights..
The ubiquitous freight or shipping container has become an integral part of our lives not just if you are in the industry handling and moving these containers from point to point, but for all the businesses and industries that use the container..
It has been universally hailed as one of the greatest inventions of the modern world, one that completely changed the way in which business has been done since the 20th century and really and truly made the world a smaller place and the one true architect of Globalisation..
Exporters, importers, traders, packing houses, ports, customs, border authorities, police, clearing agents, freight forwarders, stevedores, hauliers, weighbridges ……………………….. and many more entities involved in a trade transaction may be seeing and handling a container on a daily basis..
But although many of these people see a container not everyone understands the many markings on a container..
The markings on a container play a very significant role in the movement of the container as they provide vital information to all entities in the supply chain relating to the monitoring and safety of the container and cargo during its carriage..
Let us look at each of the markings on a container individually using an example below..
2019 was quite the year for maritime disasters with ships on fire, containers falling off ships etc.. 2020 seems to be hitting the industry in other ways which could also be considered a kind of maritime disaster..
But in what may be the first reported case of containers falling off ships in 2020, the APL England a 5,780 TEU capacity containership lost around 40 containers off the coast of New South Wales in Australia.. It has also been reported that around 74 containers are lying in a collapsed state within the stacks on board the ship..
Such incidents bring to the fore the question whether the ship register or ship registry is liable for containers falling off a ship and who is really responsible..
There are several reasons that cargo inside a container could damaged. It could be due to improper packing of cargo inside a container, incorrect container used for the cargo carried, but one of the main reasons for cargo damage inside a container is the condition of the container itself.
are some of the common types of damages reported on cargoes that are packed in containers.
As a general rule, shipping lines reject these claims confirming that the gate out documents of the containers were clean at the time of release to the shipper. Insurance companies use Unseaworthiness and Unfitness Exclusion Clause stated in ICC (A) not to cover similar claims either, unless the insured can prove that he was not aware of the condition of the container at the time of loading.
Obviously, this situation causes a lot of frustration, feelings of injustice, and could result in absorbed losses among shippers globally.
An Italian design company has teamed up with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to create prefabricated intensive care units (ICUs), to deal with escalating numbers of coronavirus patients around the world.
Coronavirus patients with access to hospital equipment, in particular ICU beds, have a much greater chance of survival. With 377,431 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on 24 March, health systems around the world are groaning under the strain.
In today’s global trade, handling of container transport and supply chain is not that easy and comes with a plethora of problems. Lack of visibility is one of the main problems that customers face.
Lack of visibility of a shipping container’s location and its condition during a trip may lead not only to unexpected delays but also to possible theft and deterioration of goods especially if these problems are noticed far too late.
In many situations, it is also difficult to ascertain and be assured that the goods have traveled in the optimal condition especially with perishable cargo or hazardous cargo shipments.
Without visibility, shippers cannot expect the fastest, safest and importantly, the most ecological routes for their shipments.
Time saving and product quality are key factors in a well functioning supply chain, and more and more companies are looking to choose solutions that provides visibility of their shipments.
Abandoned cargo could be quite stressful for shipping lines, shippers, port authorities and forwarders alike and is considered to be a big headache for everyone concerned..
When a cargo is abandoned it causes severe financial losses to all parties concerned – seller, buyer, shipping line, freight forwarder, transporters, banks, Government etc etc..
It could also cause a rift in business relationships between a shipping line and their customer – whether it is an importer or a freight forwarder because it could create a blemish in the customer’s record with the shipping line..
When is a cargo considered to be Abandoned Cargo..??
Why is there a difference in transit time between FCL and LCL cargo to the same destination..??
If it doesn’t make sense, there is a reason why this difference exists.. Read the full article to know why..