Cargo, In-Transit and Transport Security
This domain covers custody between facilities: road, rail, ocean, air and intermodal. Each handoff is a risk point, and the exam expects mode-specific controls plus the documentation that proves custody.
Container and load integrity
- Seven-point inspection before loading and at receipt: front wall, left side, right side, floor and undercarriage, ceiling and roof, doors and locking mechanism, exterior. Record it - an unrecorded inspection did not happen.
- High-security seals to ISO 17712: record the seal number on the shipping document, verify at every handoff, treat any discrepancy as an incident.
- No seal, no load policy; unused seals under custody with a sequential issue log.
- Blocking and bracing, load plans that prevent concealment, and verified gross mass for ocean containers.
Mode specifics
- Road: carrier vetting and identity verification, driver licence and photo ID checks, pre-planned routes, no unauthorised stops, secure parking, geofencing and telematics, team driving or escort for high value.
- Ocean: terminal interface under the ISPS Code, yard dwell and transshipment risk, seal verification at the gate, care with high-value boxes.
- Air: known consignor and regulated agent regimes, screening, chain of custody at each transfer.
- Rail: interchange inspection records, yard security, seal verification at handover.
Carrier management
Contracts should state security standards, driver vetting, notification duties, right to audit, subcontracting restrictions and loss liability. Cheap capacity is often cheap because controls are absent.
Worked example
A booked carrier's identity is used to collect a load - a fictitious pickup. The fraudulent driver arrives with a plausible reference number. Reasoning: the loss happens at tender, so the control is verification rather than tracking. Response: an independent callback to the carrier's number on file, not the number in the email or on the driver's phone; a one-time pickup code; photo ID matching the driver named on the manifest; and refusal of last-minute carrier substitution.
Traps
Assuming carrier insurance protects the cargo; seals applied but numbers not recorded; tolerating small route deviations; skipping inspection at transload points; and applying ocean-style controls to air or road without adaptation.