Bagged Cargo
Bagged Cargo is a huge trade for many African or South American carriers because this generally involves shipments of Cocoa or Coffee. Often the supply chain is regulated so they have a greater influence on the carriers than say the container trade. Most bagged shipments are normally shipped LCL/LCL so the carrier has a duty/care/responsibility during stuffing. This normally leads to a lot of small, but eventually costly claims although precautions can be taken.
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Torn and Slack
This is an expression to describe shortage arising from damaged bags and whilst there will be a small amount of sweepings, this is legitimate nonetheless. To avoid such claims, it is important to ensure:
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New or good quality jute bags are used.
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Ensure and inspect the stitching on the bags.
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Encourage sweepings and adequate re-bagging facilities at destination.
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Shortage
Whilst theft may occur, the common cause of shortage is poor tallying or mis-placing the bags during warehousing. To avoid such claims, it is important to ensure:
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Time and expense are provided to tallying.
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Have dedicated warehousing or special care to avoid mixing.
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Wet Damage
Most bagged cargo are hydroscopic, so moisture is a huge problem. Ventilation is crucial and so is the use of desiccator bags to absorb moisture. It is important to:
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Avoid loading in the rain.
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Check moisture contents and return if not in limits.
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Carry light hole checks if shipped in containers.
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Ensure full ventilation (use of vents or doors open) and use of desiccator bags.
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Infestation
Naturally, infestation is a problem due to the consumable nature of most bagged cargo. This may add to further problems with wet damage/caking but also contamination or third-party damage. Keep in mind to:
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Ensure fumigation is carried out just prior to shipment.
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Do not place fumigated cargo close to non-fumigated cargo.
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Carriers will generally refute fumigation claims.
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