Badly packed and stowed cargo causes most insurance claims

The packing of Cargo Transport Units (CTUs) is high on the agenda for the shipping industry, and correctly stowing your freight is absolutely imperative – you might have thought that was obvious, perhaps, but according to The TT Club, a leading provider of insurance for the international transport and logistics industry, a staggering 65 per cent of damage to freight is simply down to bad loading, packaging and stowing. That’s an awful lot of expense and damage which could be avoided with the correct training or expert assistance.

The Cargo Incident Notification System (CINS) backs up the statistics, showing that more than 30 per cent of cases investigated through the system were caused by bad stowage and poor packaging.
In an attempt to reduce the amount of claims, the TT Club has developed a brand new online e-learning course which aims to focus attention on the many problems that bad packing can cause, and provide up to date guidance.

The course, which launched in January, is a useful online training tool for anyone who is involved with packing and unpacking cargo transport units (CTU) and the first release of the foundation course has just been launched.

There are modules looking at cargo, transport, packing and arrival and the course also covers relevant issues such as the forces and stresses encountered during transport, and the careful consideration that needs to be taken when packing and securing cargo.

• Cargo – covers the types and physical characteristics of cargo and looks at the problems that badly packed cargo can cause.
• Transport - the main modes of transport, different types of equipment, and the forces and stresses encountered during transport. Also looks at choosing CTU and route considerations.
• Packing - covers preparation for packing, the basic principles and rules which apply to packing and securing, manual and mechanical handling, cargo securing materials, closing the CTU and securing it, in addition to correct documentation.
• Arrival – what precautions to take when opening the CTU at arrival.

T Ward Shipping has a variety of services available to ensure that your cargo loading takes place smoothly, and avoiding unnecessary damage during transit. We can provide clients with a range of equipment,  mobile cranes, fork lifts, special heavy lift equipment, low loaders, MAFI’s, Stevedoring and any other equipment necessary to get the job done professionally and as quickly as possible.

If you think you may need help with cargo lashing and securing, we can organise that on your behalf too, making sure that you have complete peace of mind at all times.

This video gives you an idea about why packing is so important!

The Forth Estuary – perfect for anchorage!

If you need to know why the ports on the Forth Estuary are so popular, it’s hard to pin point just one factor – but their perfect fit for vessels needing laying-up and anchorage are high up on the list of many desirable qualities.

The Forth Estuary ports are ideally located, enjoying a perfect position on Scotland’s east coast, and their easy accessibility to vessels from all over the world along with a spot-on geographical location central to the North Sea and the UK oil fields makes them popular with the 3500 ships that visit every single year.

When it comes to anchorage, there are few ports which offer such favourable conditions for laying-up. Being part of an estuary means that they all benefit from natural shelter, keeping vessels away from harsh prevailing winds.

The Forth Estuary is the perfect location for both long term and short term anchorage, a service that we’re happy to be able to organise for our clients. The ports are all easy to reach, with direct connections to all major UK, European and East Coast US cities and cater for all types of vessel with users ranging from small coasters to project cargoes, naval and very large crude carriers (VLCCs).

All services are laid on to ensure that whether you’re laying up your vessel for a long or short term, you’ll have peace of mind. Deep water ports benefit from full Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) and harbour master surveillance, and for larger ships there are twenty-four designated anchorages beyond the main pilotage area, perfect for rigs or semi-submersible vessels. There are more anchorages inside the pilotage area which provide excellent shelter, minimal sea conditions and deep water.

For semi-submersible vessels there are excellent facilities too, you can ballast down in deep water ports to float off and on large rigs and structures. If you need quayside berthing, Dundee is the ideal choice as there’s also room for jack-up rigs, barges and semi sub rigs to berth alongside.

If you’re an owner or operator of a ship that needs to be laid up for whatever reason, contact T Ward Shipping to discuss our peace of mind laying up services. No matter where you decide to lay up your vessel, if you need anchorage, we’ll be able to help you with all aspects of the process, from documentation, to maintenance and inspections.