Ask for photos of the empty container inside and out, the goods and bag marks, the check-weighing, each stage of loading, the closed doors and the seal with its number. Together they show what was shipped and the condition it left in.
Loading photos are your main evidence if there is a dispute about quality, quantity or damage. An insurer or supplier will take a dated photo more seriously than a description written weeks later.
The empty container
- Container number on the door and on the side, and the CSC safety plate.
- The outside, showing the doors, roof edges and any dents.
- Inside towards the front wall, with the floor, walls and roof in view.
- The floor close up, to show it is clean and dry.
- Inside with the doors closed, showing no light coming through.
The goods
- Bags or cartons in the warehouse before loading, showing condition and stacking.
- Bag printing and marks, with the lot number readable.
- Sample drawing from several bags, and the sample bags sealed and labelled.
- Product in an open tray or on a white sheet, beside the approval sample if possible, in good daylight.
- Scale readouts with the bag and lot number in the same frame.
During loading and sealing
- Floor and wall lining in place before the first bag goes in.
- The container about a quarter, half and three quarters full.
- Desiccants hung, if used.
- The last layer and the door end, showing gap filling or a barrier.
- The fully loaded container with the doors still open.
- The left door closed and the right door closing.
- Both doors closed with the locking bars in place.
- The seal fitted, with its number readable, and the container number in the same photo.
- The truck number and the container leaving the site, if possible.
Making photos useful
Photos should carry a date and time, either in the file data or on the image. Ask for originals, not compressed copies in a chat app, and keep them with the shipment file until the claim period has passed. Name the files clearly by container number and loading stage, so anyone can find the right photo quickly during a claim. Photos of the same stages at your end, when the doors open, make a fair comparison. A short video of the loaded container before the doors close is also helpful, because it shows the whole stow at once. See loading supervision for the checks the photos support.
How we help
Our inspector takes this full photo set at every supervised loading and sends it with the report, usually the same day or the next. You get a clear record before you release payment. Ask for a free sourcing review to set this up.