Cargo sealing is one of the ways to secure cargo during transportation. The seal helps to control unauthorized access to goods: it is easily damageable, so any unauthorized tampering can be proved. There are also customs seals that are used for customs clearance. Such seals are installed in the presence of a customs officer.
How does the sealing work?
Cargo sealing is a fast procedure. It consists of the following steps:
- ⇒ Wire or the special twine is threaded through the holes;
- ⇒ The ends of the wires are sealed with a special machine;
- ⇒ Some seals do not require this machine.
Cargo seals are installed on various vehicles and packaging types and are also used for multimodal transportation in containers. It is possible to seal the doors of all-metal vans, container doors, tank hatches, as well as separate sections of vehicles. Cargo sealing for road transport simplifies the process of customs clearance and cargo acceptance. Sometimes the seals could be removed for the inspection. In that case, there is a procedure and a set of documents to be filled in by the inspection.
Cargo sealing rules allow the unloading of sealed goods without checking the weight and condition of the cargo. At the same time, an inspection is mandatory if the seal was damaged.
Types of cargo seals
Different transport and cargo types require different seals. Each seal has a unique number and the cargo owner ID.
- ⇒ The most common seals are the cylinder lead ones, which are sealed with a manual machine.
- ⇒ Cylindrical polyethylene seals. They are sealed with a heated sealant.
- ⇒ Power seals which are impossible to remove without destroying the protective packaging.
- ⇒ Individually manufactured plastic seals.
- ⇒ Paper seals for the carton packaging and laminated pallets.
- ⇒ Reusable devices with shock and temperature sensors.
- ⇒ Cargo seal check is performed by the driver
The driver is responsible for checking the seal at the unloading. Here are the things to look at:
- ⇒ How tight is the seal
- ⇒ The quality of the impression at the seal
- ⇒ The reliability and integrity of the wire
If the seal is damaged, the driver needs to immediately notify the transport company about it. They need to call the police and record the broken seal in the document, which contains information about the truck, the driver’s personal data, the place and time of the event.
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