Best practices in packing cargo, correctly restraining loads, and safely transporting shipping containers will be the focus of a series of eight safe container loading seminars across Australia in October and November.
Hosted by Container Transport Alliance Australia (CTAA) in collaboration with Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA), the Australian Peak Shippers Association (APSA), and safety management firm CoRsafe, the Safe Container Loading & Transport Practices Seminars will aim to promote safety and efficiency in container logistics.
The seminar series is also supported by the Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative (HVSI), administered by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) on behalf of the Australian Government.
Data from National Transport Insurance (NTI) shows that container-laden heavy vehicles are 36% more likely to experience a truck rollover compared to those carrying general freight. A leading cause of these accidents is vehicle instability due to unbalanced or inadequately restrained loads within shipping containers.
In many cases, heavy vehicle drivers are unaware of how the shipping container has been packed or if the cargo has been properly secured. Load shifts inside containers, unbalanced loads, and high centres of gravity all contribute to potential accidents, posing risks not only to road transport but also to rail, terminal operations, and sea freight.
Mis-declared container weights also pose a significant risk in the logistics chain. Cargo owners and container packers may innocently or deliberately mis-declare container weights, leading to overloaded containers. These can result in serious safety hazards and now carry significant penalties if identified.
CTAA Director Neil Chambers emphasized that the seminars aim to encourage best practices in both container packing and cargo restraint, highlighting safety and commercial benefits. “We’ll also raise awareness of available best practice resources,” he noted.
One key resource to be presented at the seminars is the Safe Container Loading & Transport Guide, published by CoRsafe in partnership with CTAA. This guide provides a clear explanation of legal and practical obligations for stakeholders in the container logistics chain, including overseas suppliers and container packers, using straightforward language accessible to frontline staff.
Chambers encouraged Australian businesses to share the guide with their overseas partners to ensure proper standards are met when loading containers bound for Australia. Similarly, Australian exporters are urged to distribute the guide to their supply chain partners to promote best practices. The full guide is available for download at logss.com.au/container-guide.
Seminar attendees will also gain access to a condensed version of the guide, along with a simplified Chinese version for overseas distribution.
The seminar will feature a lineup of expert speakers and panelists, including:
- NHVR and WorkSafe regulatory representatives
- Container terminal representatives on container gross mass (VGM) mis-declarations and container check weighing
- Chain of Responsibility (CoR) experts
- Marine insurance specialists
- Cargo restraint experts
- Biosecurity and container cleanliness experts
- Road transport and telematics experts discussing on-board mass (OBM) technology
- Experts on container reuse and exchange practices
Seminar Dates and Locations:
- BRISBANE: Wednesday, October 16, 2024
- TOOWOOMBA: Thursday, October 17, 2024
- SYDNEY: Tuesday, October 22, 2024
- MELBOURNE: Tuesday, October 29, 2024
- SHEPPARTON: Thursday, October 31, 2024
- WAGGA WAGGA: Friday, November 1, 2024
- PORT ADELAIDE: Tuesday, November 19, 2024
- FREMANTLE: Wednesday, November 20, 2024
These seminars present a unique opportunity for industry professionals to gain valuable insights into safe container handling, improve their practices, and network with experts across the container logistics sector.
