TT Talk Edition 111 - 12/09/2008

As we approach the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December 2020, there are a number of changes that will affect the import and export of goods to and from the European Union (EU). These changes will inevitably have an impact on the operations of stakeholders in the supply chain, whether you are a driver, a haulage company, a freight forwarder, a customs intermediary or a port operator.

The logistics world is fraught with potential risks, and claims are perhaps inevitable. The exposure to such claims can be minimised, however, by maintaining a robust risk mitigation policy. Risk mitigation extends not only to the physical steps taken to improve operational safety and security, but also to ensuring, from the outset, that adequate contractual protections are in place.

TT Club has previously reported on incident experience whereby containers have dropped from lifting equipment during handling operations. Recurrence appears, as previously, to have nothing to do with the intrinsic quality of the corner castings. The reliability of the lifting process is critical.

The use of standardised containers for much of global trade has become second nature; the range of cargo types utilising such units continues to expand. There is significant reliance placed by the various stakeholders on the overall integrity of the concept, some explicit and some implicit.