Have you ever heard of a trailer seal? It is a very useful thing for shippers and carriers. It can help secure cargo.
What is a trailer seal?
A trailer seal is a security seal. It comes in different materials, plastic seals, metal seals, or security seals with a higher security level such as padlocks. The length and width of the plastic seal are basically fixed. The length is about 8 inches, which is 20 cm, and the width is about 3/8 inches, which is 1 cm.
When the dry van trailer or container is loaded and the door is closed, the trailer seal will be attached to the door. Each trailer seal has its own number and this number is recorded in the contract.
Why use a trailer seal?
A semi-trailer is capable of transporting a larger amount of cargo, which will add up to a considerable amount of money. The trailer seals ensures that the door has not been opened after it has been closed.
Trailer seals also help in liability determination. When the receivers discover that the quantity of the shipment is missing, they can use the trailer seal to determine to whom they should call. If the seal is broken, then it will be the shipper’s responsibility. If the seal is intact, then this would be the responsibility of the supplier.
What will happen if the trailer seal is damaged?
When a trailer seal is broken, the receiver has two options. The first is to reject it completely and not accept the shipment. The second is to manually verify the quality and number of pieces before confirming receipt.