The transport properties of goods are illustrated by means of an extensive checklist. The first part of the cargo information contains general information about the product, such as product name, product description, quality and duration of storage, intended use, countries of origin, packaging, and transport-specific information (symbols, means of transport, fitness for container transport etc.). At the heart of the cargo information are the risk factors, coupled with loss prevention measures. This section points up special risks which arise during transport, handling and storage and makes recommendations about loss prevention.
The risk factors are:
- Temperature
- Gases, Self-heating/Spontaneous combustion
- Mechanical influences
- Humidity/Moisture
- Toxicity
- Hazards to health
- Ventilation
- Odor
- Shrinkage/Shortage/Theft
- Biotic activity
- Contamination
- Insect infestation/Diseases
The weak points of industrial goods lie in their sensitivity to corrosion, physical acceleration, such as oscillation, vibration, jolting, and in some cases in their chemical reactivity.
In the case of foodstuffs, semiluxury items and animal feedstuffs, the following basic rule may be deduced for assessing risk potential: the higher the water content and biotic activity of a product, the more stringent its requirements for cargo care and/or storage climate conditions. Fitness for container transport may be derived directly from consideration of the above-mentioned variables.
As far as industrial products are concerned, the greater their sensitivity to corrosion and acceleration of any kind and their chemical reactivity, the more stringent the requirements with regard to packaging, securing, shock absorption etc., if fitness for container transport is to be achieved.