How to make sense of cargo survey report?

The problem: when cargo damage is extensive or cargo insurance policy insists, the receiver has no other choice but to appoint a cargo surveyor. The price of the survey can go up to 1200 USD per reefer box and a bit less for dry cargo!

Today we do not discuss when not to appoint Surveyor (a conversation for the future), instead, you learn what information needs to be inserted into the survey report so you have clarity of the outcome and not just paper in hands.

I’ve seen too many cargo survey reports.

Some of them are extremely vague, without clear damage extent mentioned and no idea who the liable for damage party is. This leads to cargo claims being rejected by the liable party or cargo insurer.

ACTION FOR TODAY

It is your LEGAL right TO MAKE SURE Each survey report you pay for contains below information:

1. Damage extent (for example 60 bags of coffee wet without possibility to salve, 13 boxes pilfered and etc);
2. Liable for the damaged party ( for example: damage happened during loading / discharging operations at the terminal; due to water infiltration through the rusty roof of the container, etc.).

Always request a Surveyor to provide a preliminary survey report for you to review.  You need to make sure above mentioned 2 parts are covered in the final report and to avoid contradictory statements in the report such as Surveyor allege, that he did not survey cargo but he thinks that damage is bla bla bla 🤯  Believe me vague cargo survey reports have no value.

Even if Surveyor is paid by your insurer, I suggest you control his statements in the survey report. If Surveyor every time without physically being present alleges, that the cause of the damage is condensation,  it allows Insurers to increase the loss ratio incrementally because condensation is always insureds fault and water ingress is not. Not to mention insurance cargo policies where deductibles for certain cargo damage types are much higher than for others.

NOTA BENE. Make sure your guns are loaded before you enter the dispute with the liable party for cargo damage or with the insurer. Control Survey reports!