risk of loss of cargo. For the carrier, there is the risk of a claim even if the goods are undamaged. Many shippers and carriers are prepared to accept inadequate instructions either through ignorance or through unquestioning acceptance of what has been accepted previously by themselves or others. Instructions may be based on goods of different origin, which may have different requirements.


The way in which cargo is stowed into holds or stuffed into containers is important for successful carriage, but is outside the scope of these recommendations. These recommendations have been drawn up by ICCT to assist both shippers and carriers to re-assess their carriage instructions in order to improve the operation of refrigerated transport chains.


First, general requirements are considered. Thereafter, separate sections relate to containerised cargoes and to shipments in reefer vessels. For ease of reference, points which are the same for both types of transport are repeated in the appropriate sections.


General requirements


The responsibility for specifying carriage instructions is that of the shipper, the owner of the goods. Only the shipper knows the full nature of the goods and their requirements. Frequently this responsibility is passed to the carrier, but in this case the shipper prior to shipment should agree the acceptability of the specified conditions. In either case, the exact nature of the cargo needs to be known – in the case of fruit, for example, carriage requirements may vary dependent on type, variety, maturity, origin and growing season conditions.


If mixed loads of differing commodities are to be carried in a single cargo space, it is necessary to consider compatibility of temperature, atmosphere (especially ethylene levels) and liability to taint. This will usually require specialist cargo care advice.


It may be necessary to ensure that carriage conditions are specified to all carriers in the transport chain, as frequently an international journey may use different carriers at the start and end of the journey. Items such as relative humidity and maximum time without refrigeration should not be over-specified but should meet the necessary requirements of the goods. Over-specification of requirements is to be avoided as it tends to lead to more, and sometimes spurious, claims regarding technicalities which have not actually affected cargo quality.


Many of the specific items listed below may be taken for granted with regular shipments, but may need to be specified if a new carrier is used.


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● Pre-stuffing sanitation ● Pre-cooling of containers ● Cooling during part loaded conditions ● Prohibition of stuffing cargo at mixed temperatures ● Stowage requirements ● Ventilation ● Carriage temperature ● Maximum time without refrigeration ● Air circulation rate ● Relative humidity ● Measurement and reporting requirements ● Special conditions for cold weather ● Need to pass instructions to subsequent carrier ● Need to notify if limits exceeded ● For controlled atmosphere shipments, additionally: , humidity,


– Levels (ranges) for O2 ethylene


, CO2


– Permitted time to reach specified levels – Procedure in event of CA system failure – Safety requirements – Discharge atmosphere requirement


Specific requirement for containerised cargoes


The parameters that may be included in carriage instructions for containerised refrigerated cargo are shown in the table.


Each of these will be considered below. Pre-stuffing sanitation


The proper cleanliness and lack of odour in containers to be used for refrigerated goods should be a matter of normal good practice, but any special or particular needs should be identified.


Pre-cooling of containers


Pre-cooling is only useful when loading from temperature controlled loading bays; in other conditions, it can result in excessive moisture ingress from the atmosphere and is not recommended.


Cooling during part loaded conditions Part loaded containers should be closed and


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