Photographs
- Overall views of the cargo and storage/handling area
- Close-ups of each damage type
- Package numbers, cargo marks and serial numbers
- Container number and seal number where relevant
- Packaging, skids, banding, wrapping, dunnage and securing
- Any water, staining, impact marks or deformation indicators
Transport and commercial documents
- Bill of lading or transport document
- Packing list and cargo description
- Commercial invoice where relevant to the instruction
- Delivery receipts and exception notes
- Tally sheets, loading records or warehouse receipts
- Pre-shipment inspection reports or photographs
Chronology
- Loading date and location
- Vessel discharge date and time
- Warehouse or delivery date
- Time the damage was first discovered
- Any intermediate storage or road transport stages
Statements and operational information
- Names and roles of people who observed the cargo condition
- Handling method and equipment used
- Any incident, impact, weather or water-ingress reports
- Details of repair, re-packing or mitigation already carried out
Keep the evidence connected
The value of evidence increases when it is linked: a photograph to an item number, an item number to a packing list, a delivery note to a date, and a date to the cargo chronology. A survey file should make those connections easy to follow.