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The ongoing pandemic backdrop, where social distancing and remote working practices remain, has spurred the use of simulators for training operators of cargo handling equipment as an essential tool in the container terminal training armoury.

A critical transfer point of intermodal trade is the marine container terminal; immense strain encountered globally through 2021 is set to continue through 2022. Efficiently facilitating the flow of empty and laden containers to and from ships, trucks and trains is no mean feat ordinarily – and current disruptive dynamics have resulted in substantial congestion and operational stresses.

TT’s recent webinar highlighted an important insight and concern related to the current global supply chain stress, including blockages, delays and blanked sailings, and the impact that this might have on safety of particular cargoes.

The temperature controlled cargo supply chain can present operational challenges for all stakeholders due to the innate sensitivities of the cargoes transported. Clear, unambiguous and accurate communication is paramount.

An interesting Singapore case that investigates what relationship there is between contracts of sale and contracts of carriage. In the circumstances, it was impossible for holders of the bills of lading to attribute the traditional characteristics where the sale contract was silent.

Claims relating to wet damage to cargo are all too frequent. Many of these can be avoided entirely with a robust pre-loading condition checking procedure. While humidity and condensation are inevitable challenges through the supply chain, pre-existing CTU damages should be an easy check.

Everyone is well aware of weather conditions in their locality; those with responsibility for operating cargo facilities are likely to be acutely conscious of changes in local climatic conditions. Many will have seen tidal surges, wind microbursts and unprecedented rainfall become more common.

Supply chain security is a vital consideration for actors in the global supply chain, regardless of where they are operating or the  nature of their contractual obligations. Security throughout the supply chain has become essential through regulation as much as meeting customer expectations in the protection of their goods and reputation.

Operators in the global supply chain can easily become victims of fraud in conducting day-to-day business. ‘Carrier fraud’ is increasingly prevalent and sophisticated. Today’s digital business environment enables criminals to create fictitious companies, intercept legitimate business transactions and obscure their fraudulent activity, reducing the likelihood of recovering freight or funds and thei...

Nomination of a ‘special interest in delivery’ for a carriage under the CMR Convention remains insufficient on its own; it is necessary for the value to be declared in the consignment note – a German interpretation.

While the series of catastrophic containership fires experienced during 2019 has, happily, not been repeated this year, there is no room for complacency. The incidence of lesser fires and emergencies persists.

In response to a series of incidents – and with the intention of protecting, restoring and ensuring safety in the local ecological environment – China enacted the Yangtze River Protection Law on 26 December 2020, which then came into force on 1 March 2021.

In the ordinary line of business, companies transact with numerous other businesses to support their activity. Whether it be for freight services, key commodities (such as fuel) or simply stationary supplies, purchases are frequent and almost exclusively these days completed electronically, giving rise to increased risk of fraud through the procurement process.

With some 90% of world trade transported by sea, coupled with the logistics challenges of Covid-19 and emerging new trends in cybercrime, the importance of cyber security in the supply chain has never been more critical.

An interesting case displaying the potential financial disparity between jurisdictions where more recent protocols – or even conventions – are not adopted or implemented, echoing a recent International Group call to increase certainty and consistency of outcome. 

Improper packing of bulk grain cargo can lead to the distortion of the container, compromising structural integrity, spillage of contents, contamination, and injury to workers when opening container doors.

Calls for intrusive inspections of import and export freight to counter the risks of invasive pests in cargo and containers risk disrupting trade more severely than either COVID-19 or the Suez blockage.

In the final episode of the series, Mike Yarwood, TT's Managing Director Loss Prevention, talks once again to David Thompson of Signum Services.  As cargo is widely considered to be most at risk when it is at rest, the key topic for discussion this week is secure parking for trucks. Mike and David discuss the barriers to adoption for both drivers and truck stop providers across the globe in t...

One of the less apparent consequences of the pandemic has been a noticeable increase in drug trafficking exploiting the maritime supply chain. No entity welcomes the embarrassment, almost certain cost and potential reputational damage. What to do?

With business transactions and communication handled almost exclusively online these days, there is increased risk of fraud in the fast-paced digital environment, making due diligence more critical than ever.

In this week's episode, Mike Yarwood, Managing Director Loss Prevention, talks to David Fairnie of BSI Supply Chain Services and Solutions about the security threat posed by the insider.  While difficult to evidence, there is often suspicion in cargo theft incidents of a degree of insider involvement - sometimes it's just too much of a coincidence that the thieves knew exactly which truck to...

In this week's episode, Mike Yarwood, Managing Director Loss Prevention, talks to David Thompson of Signum Services about the cargo theft strategies that are most commonly used by thieves.  Strategies discussed include: round the corner theft, Romanian rollover theft, staged incidents and "blue light" crime. This episode will outline these strategies, how they work in practice and how stakeho...

In episode three of TT's supply chain security podcast, Mike Yarwood talks again to David Thompson about depot security and how to mitigate the risk of theft. Depots are a critical node in supply chains all over the world. Such locations might function as an operating centre for trucks, trailers and containers, a temporary storage facility as well as a secure area to park vehicles. For those with...

In this weeks episode, Mike Yarwood, TT's Managing Director Loss Prevention, and David Thompson of Signum Services, drill down into the subject of fraud and how individuals and organised criminal gangs pose as legitimate companies to access and steal cargo. After all, fraud knows no geographical boundaries and is deployed by criminals the world over. 

The risk of abandoned cargo is hardly new; every year the delay or failure of a consignee to collect cargo costs the industry significant time and money. Now it's costing lives.