SGS loading/unloading supervision (LS/US) services inspect your products prior to or after shipment and have been developed in response to increasingly global markets, in which businesses sell to, and import supplies from, countries across the world. They aim not only to ensure that those goods being shipped are those that were assessed in final random inspections but also to prevent costly mishandling of goods.
The aim of our container loading supervision service is to ensure that products are loaded and secured correctly, regardless of whether they are to be transported by container, ship or truck. A container loading check may cover:
- Quantity verification
- Traceability of products – including verification of production codes, plant numbers and stock numbers against a packing list or invoice
- Verification of external and internal operating conditions of containers
- Cleanliness inspection of trailers or containers for debris, insects and vermin, for example
- Temperature monitoring inspection
- Packaging
- Labeling
- Shipping marks for regulatory compliance (for example bar code checks)
- Documentation of any damage observed during loading
- Photographs of packing and loading processes
- Documentation of container, vessel and seal number
As soon as loading has been completed, on client’s special request, we seal containers with SGS seals to reduce the risk of tampering, theft and substation.
Unloading supervisions include similar checks of container integrity against checklists or invoices, to avoid import disputes and ensure products arrive in the same state in which they were loaded.
The documentation provided by LS/US services also provides information for customs purposes, allowing for the correct assessment of import duties and taxes.
With an international network of highly skilled inspectors, SGS loading and unloading inspection solutions are an invaluable addition to our supply chain inspections, which aim to give you peace of mind.