IICL Issues Clarification and Warning for containers misuse

A recent bulletin published by  the  Institute of International Container Lessors (IICL) warns about the misuse of containers by carriers and shippers.

Overloading or poor loading and unloading practices, as well as inadequate packing and securing methods of the cargo which are exclusively aimed to reduce the costs of such operations by speeding them up, can lead to expensive repairing costs for containers and damages to the cargo. Moreover, the misdeclaration of the Cargo Transport Units gross mass (freight containers, swap bodes, vehicles, railway wagons or any other similar units in particular when used in intermodal transport), may result in the overloading of a road vehicle or a rail wagon or in the allocation of an unsuitable stowage position on board a ship thus compromising the safety of the ship.

Proper cargo packing and cargo stowage methods can avoid such costs, damages and risks. To this end, the IICL recommends to observe the IMO/ILO/UNECE Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units (CTU Code) 2014.

With specific reference to road transport, in the European Union, the European Commission (Directorate General for Energy and Transport) has published in the same year (2014), the European Best Practice Guidelines on Cargo Securing for Road Transport, aimed to to provide a guide for adequate cargo securing for all situations that may occur in normal traffic conditions and to serve as a common basis for both practical application and enforcement of cargo securing.