What are the main causes of damage to goods during transport

Damage to goods? What are the main causes of damage to goods during transport.

Very often freight forwarders and carriers find themselves in situations where the vehicle arrives at an unloaded address, but the consignee refuses to accept the goods because there are mechanical damages. What's happening? The moment comes when each of the participants in the specific transport chain falls into another stressful situation. Why? A solution begins to be sought - phone calls, emails sought for reasons, consultations, documentation of damages… Ultimately the result is a delay in delivery, including all deliveries if the truck is grouped, a lot of extra work and a bunch of costs for all parties . Can this be prevented? In most cases yes.
The reason
During the transport of the load, unforeseen situations can occur, leading to its damage. However, the transport of goods must also be very well adapted to the type of cargo itself, for example, bad weather conditions are sometimes ignored and an unsuitable means of transport is chosen.
There are cases when the damage to the goods is inflicted while loading - a little more careless on the part of the loaders and the load is deformed, and the driver has not noticed anything. It is also possible that the intended method of loading is not suitable and does not withstand the normal shocks during the transport of goods, which could cause damage to the goods.
There are also cases when the damage occurs if the load is not well secured in the body itself, because this will lead to displacement of the pallets, and hence to damage to the goods themselves. There are different situations, but about 70% of the damage is caused by improper or insufficient packaging.
How does this happen?
Most often, the various components of the transported goods are incorrectly fastened, and this certainly leads to displacement or damage during transport. Improper shipment preparation by the shipper is crucial. This rule applies most strongly to more non-standard and specific loads, which must also have a special construction.
Pallets that are too high or too heavy are also a problem. It is true that optimizing the cargo space optimizes the cost of transport, but too high or heavy pallets are a risk - when stopping, starting and sharp turns, the pallets tilt, where the upper part of the goods is scattered, and that in the lower part is crushed. When the goods on the pallets are very heavy and not arranged correctly, this leads to deformation of the items from the bottom rows of cartons, and this in turn can lead to the inversion of an entire pallet and scattering of all items in it. Damage is inevitable when thin and weak stretch film is used in these combinations.
The transport packaging of the pallets must be made well with a suitable foil, with dividers between the individual rows, with straps crossed in two pairs on the sides of the pallet, to prevent tilting.
It should not be forgotten that accidents with loads in the transport room can also lead to an accident on the vehicle itself. Not everything can be foreseen, but it is possible to do what is necessary to avoid predictable things.
The manner of arrangement, packaging, stacking, palletizing should be made so that the goods arrive at the recipient in the same good condition as sent. The case law of the specialized courts in Europe shows that even in the case of sudden brakes in order to avoid an accident, the packaging of the goods should withstand the load without breaking, for which the consignor is responsible and not the carrier.
Remember that the usual compensation of the carrier is limited to its amount according to Art. 23 and Art. 25 Convention on the International Carriage of Goods by Road, known as the CMR Convention, where the proper liability of the carrier is limited to 8.33 units per kilogram of gross missing or damaged weight (about 10 EUR / kg) and do not neglect cargo insurance ).

And if you need a consultation in the preparation of your cargo, do not hesitate - contact us. Not only can we provide you with a suitable vehicle, but we will help you pack your shipment properly.

Grand Logistiks
*Excuse us if there is an inaccuracy in the translation - a common translator is used.