Packing and Loading Photos Before Shipment: What to Photograph

Why take photos before shipment

When a buyer reports damage or a shortage, the first question is where it happened. The condition of the goods at each handover is what decides who carries the loss, and a record made at the time of loading is more persuasive to a surveyor or an insurer than one put together after a claim is raised.

MSIG's list of basic documents for a marine cargo insurance claim puts photographs next to the invoice, the packing list and the bill of lading. Clyde & Co, writing about recovering cargo losses from carriers, says evidence of the pre-shipment condition of the cargo matters because carriers look more and more at the condition of the goods at loading.

Photos support a claim; they do not decide it. The insurer still works from the policy, the survey report and the other documents.

What to photograph, in order

Before packing: the empty container inside (floor, walls, roof and the inside of the doors) and the door end with the container number. The CTU Code quick guide asks packers to check the container for signs of rust or water trails that may show holes, for visible pest contamination, and for a valid CSC approval plate; photograph anything you find before you report it to the container operator.

While packing: the goods in an open carton, the closed cartons with the shipping marks and carton numbers readable, pallets and their wrapping, the loading sequence and how the cargo is blocked, braced or lashed.

After packing: the fully loaded container before the doors are closed, then the closed doors with the seal fitted and its number readable, in the same frame as the container number if you can.

Make the photos useful later

Tie each photo to the documents: the carton numbers in a photo should match the packing list (C/NO. 1-50 and so on), and the container and seal numbers should match the bill of lading.

Set the phone or camera to the automatic network time before the day of loading: the time stored in each photo file is the time it shows later. Keep the original files. Chat apps can make photos smaller and drop the time stored in them, so do not rely on the copy someone sent you.

A fingerprint (a SHA-256 hash) of each original file, written down at the time, lets you show later that a file is the same one: any change to the file gives a different fingerprint.

The seal

The CTU Code quick guide says to affix an ISO 17712 compliant seal when a container travels internationally, to record seal numbers on the documents, and, if a seal has to be broken (for example for a customs inspection), to note why and the number of the new seal.

For shipments to the United States, CBP's recommended seal procedures call for ISO 17712 high security seals and its View, Verify, Twist and Tug (VVTT) method, to make sure the seal is the right number, not tampered with and properly fitted.