Documentation: Transport Document, Packing Certificate, and EDI
The paperwork chain
The multimodal dangerous goods transport document must state the UN number, proper shipping name, class/division, subsidiary risk, packing group, number and kind of packages, total quantity, consignor and consignee, and any special provisions. It must include the shipper's declaration that the goods are properly classified, packed, marked and labelled. The container/vehicle packing certificate confirms that the unit was packed and secured in accordance with the Code, that packages are properly marked and labelled, and that the unit is fit for the voyage. Electronic data interchange is permitted where it reproduces the required information and can be produced on demand. The document must accompany the goods and be available to the ship.
Traps candidates fall into
- Omitting the packing group or subsidiary risk from the document.
- Treating the packing certificate as optional when a container is packed by a party other than the shipper.
- Assuming EDI removes the need for the information to be retrievable.
- Forgetting the shipper's declaration of compliance.
Rule of thumb
The document and the packing certificate together prove that classification, packing, marking and securing were done correctly. If a question describes a container packed off-site, expect the packing certificate to be the tested point.