Nothing is more frustrating than having your goods damaged or lost during shipping, having unfortunate accidents in the shipping field isn’t a far fetch scenario, that’s way you should always be prepared for these types of mishaps.

There are some precautionary steps you have to take before leaving your cargo on its trip, making sure that your cargo will withstand the hardship it will face along the way from troubled sea, poor handling of cargo or robbers.

Tips to Reduce Cargo Risk of Loss or Damage

In this article we will show you Top 5 Tips to Reduce Cargo Risk of Loss or Damage but first to take care of a cargo you need to know what type of cargo your goods are.

Types of cargo:

There are several types of Cargo or goods transported from one location to another whether it was air, sea freight or in land transport, here is a glimpse of the many types of cargo.

Containers cargo

The most common type of cargo where goods from different sizes and types are organized and stored in containers, there is different types of containers available that are designed specifically to hold various kinds of goods.

Bulk Cargo

Bulk cargo is the cargo that contain bulk raw material shipped together without containers, like items necessary for construction where good can be in a liquid, granular, or solid form.

·Solid cargo

Solid cargo is the cargo that contains loose goods that are in a sold from like wheat, Sugar, fertilizer, cement or coal.

·Liquid Bulk Cargo

Same as solid cargo, liquid cargo is a cargo that contains loos goods but in a liquid form, like oil, chemicals, natural gas.

·Break Bulk cargo

Are goods that don't fit in the largest container, As opposed to solid cargo, break bulk cargo can be in the form of drums, crates, pallets, or bags, or shipped loosely like steel rolls and wood.

Roll-On Roll-Off cargo

Roll-On Roll-Off or Ro-ro are freight cargo that includes goods that needs rolling principle to load and unload, like cars, motorbikes, vans, buses, trucks and tractors.

Top 5 Tips to Reduce cargo risk of Loss or Damage

1-The right packing

If you packed right then you are halfway there, packing might be the lowest cost in your supply chain, but it is the most important step in keeping your cargo safe. Start investing in goods packing! Many business try to reduce expenses by improperly packaging their goods, which results in crushed, unsellable goods in the end. Saving money on packing will lead you to spend more on other expensive costs.

You should also start labeling everything from the address or the info that states the condition of the cargo and how it should be treated during transportation of Solid bulk cargo, the ‘Dangerous Good’ label is often applied. This is to ensure careful loading and transportation of the goods.

You should also coordinate your packing with the appropriate size that is available in the container, to reduce the possibility that the cargo will be stuffed in the container.

2-The right container

Picking the right container for your cargo can be confusing, first as we discussed earlier you need to know what type of cargo your goods are, then figure out which container is most appropriate to keep your cargo safe. and to help you these are the most common types 6 most common types of containers.

3-The right handling

Poor handling can be extremely damaging for your goods and should never be taken lightly. Things like poor container filling or uneven weight distribution are some of the most frequent causes of cargo damage.

For example, when loading solid bulk cargo like sand, it is important to ensure that the sand is evenly distributed. Because uneven distribution may cause the container to flip or lean on its side due to instability, that’s because one side will be having more weight.

You should also be careful of a few other factors when loading your cargo into containers, such as the extra space that is not required because it raises the possibility of the shifting of the cargo.

4-Cargo insurance

Investing in cargo insurance is the most efficient approach to lowering the risk of the loss or damage of cargo.

Cargo insurance provides coverage for damages or destructions that might occur to the goods. Keep in mind that if you experience damage on a regular basis, your insurance rates may rise as well, so you should take care of the previous points and make sure you did your part in keeping your cargo safe before getting insurance.

With the appropriate insurance, you can transport your goods anywhere with confidence, knowing that any possible loss, damage, or disruption will be covered. Just make sure you understand the insurance terms and how much the insurance will be covering exactly in every scenario.

5-Choose the right freight partner

Keeping your cargo safe can be quite the task, and to save yourself from all the trouble above, you can always hire a professional to do it for you. You should pick a freight forwarder that will put your cargo’s safety first, a partner like ACS Logistics Co., with years of experience your cargo is in good hands.

Every business does suffer from missing and damaged goods all the time, Losses that comes from the damages of goods are the highest cost to a transportation department. From extreme weather, theft, political decisions, labor mistakes, or even mechanical issues, some of these losses are unavoidable. Even the most meticulously prepared international shipment can be delayed or ruined by any of those situations.

You just need to be aware of the risks that your cargo can encounter. And how you can work on avoiding it as much as you can. You should even put together catastrophic team in your company, a team of well-trained prepared individuals that are willing and act in case any of these unpredictable incidents happens.