If you are worried whether the freight will reach the point of unloading safely, here is a way to reduce the number of your concerns by at least half. Make sure the goods are properly loaded and the rest will go as planned.
Who should load the goods?
As to avoid any misunderstandings concerning the issue of who is responsible for loading it is best to refer to the Polish Transport Law, article 43 which clearly states that loading and unloading constitute the responsibility of the consignor or consignee and not forwarder or carrier. However, if you do not want to or are unable to perform these activities on your own there are two things you can do. The first solution assumes employing the loader, i.e. an entity who will release and load the goods on your behalf. The second way involves making an agreement with a forwarder and supplementing the contract with a provision in which the employed company undertakes to perform loading activities. In the case of international transport the above provision is the only legal confirmation of who is responsible for loading of goods as the CMR Convention does not regulate the activities in question.
How to arrange the goods?
If you decide to load the freight on your own remember to arrange it properly in a vehicle. The goods must remain intact and in their place regardless of any activities of the driver during the carriage. Therefore, proper arrangement of goods is very important. Remember that movement of a vehicle is not uniform. A driver repeatedly makes turns, overtakes or brakes abruptly and all this affects the cargo. To make sure that you will not sustain any damage and aggravate the situation on the road, try to arrange the goods all over the vehicle’s floor so that they cannot change their location and do not stack the goods as it is difficult to secure them. If you order transport of small packages place them in larger collective packagings, which are more stable. And above all, adjust all transported packages so that there is as little empty space between them as possible, thus preventing any movement. Loading may be easier with the use of the website doladunek.pl, which, once you know the dimensions of cargo area, allows for virtual arrangement of packages.
What should I use to secure the goods?
If you already loaded the goods, remember that they are not automatically affixed to the floor. To make sure that it safely reaches its destination, cargo should be secured. To this end, depending on the cargo, you must apply different security measures. For example, to secure small and elongated goods you should use belts and anti-slip mats, whereas for pallets the best will be beams, struts and air bags. When transporting large cargos, for example vehicles, use chains, stays and belts. When in doubt, consult your forwarder. A good company will suggest suitable security measures during establishing terms and conditions of the order. Proper loading and securing of cargo are of key importance because if the goods are damaged during transport all it takes is a suspicion of improper loading for you to sustain significant losses and not to be compensated. A driver, as far as they were not involved in loading, is only partially liable for transport. Nevertheless, if you decide to use the services of a trusted forwarder you do not need to worry as they will pay attention to any errors and make sure that your cargo reaches its destination intact.