Ocean shipping containers and imported cargo often present special and significant issues which RSG can address in order to mitigate claim costs.

Most of the problems encountered by products imported from foreign countries by ocean carriage involve cargo which has become wet in transit. The wetting of the cargo is often pervasive when it occurs early in the transportation cycle or when a large quantity of water enters the containers. Significant claims can result, which can be difficult to resolve unless a thorough inspection of the ocean shipping container and the cargo is performed as soon as the damage is discovered.

At your request RSG will dispatch a field inspector to wherever the container is located in the United States or Canada. We will closely examine the shipping container to determine the source of the wetting. We will perform random examination of the cargo to provide an estimate of the extent of damage. We will also take samples of the wetted packaging material or product and perform, at no additional cost, a halide test to determine if the wetting was caused by fresh water (rain, ice or snow) or saltwater (seawater).

We will check the ocean shipping container carefully for evidence of defects or damage which allowed water to reach the cargo. Most often the damage involves punctures to the roofs of the containers caused by careless handling when the containers were loaded or off-loaded to and from vessels at port facilities. Sometimes the water enters through faulty door seals or broken floorboards when the containers are transported inland by highway or rail. Incidents where the holds of ships become flooded due to heavy seas are sometimes encountered. And infrequently the wetting is caused by condensation within the containers because of high humidity at the shippers� facilities or the cargo having a high moisture content and being exposed to temperature variations when loaded above-decks on container ships.

Occasionally the damage to the cargo is caused by a load shift, rough handling of the container, or highway or railroad accidents. RSG can inspect the container and the cargo to establish the cause and the extent of damage. If transloading of the cargo to another container is required then RSG can be on hand to witness the process, document the damage, take photographs during the transfer, and protect your interests.

Our field agents and marine reviewers are experienced and qualified to establish the cause of the damage to the cargo and estimate the measure of damages. We complete all assignments within 24 hours, support our findings with digital photographs, and will transmit our reports and photographs to you electronically within 24 hours of completing the survey.

The next time that you are faced with a problem involving containerized import cargo we hope that you will call RSG at 702.400.3196 any time of day or night so we can move quickly to represent your interests and document the incident.