Profession freight inspector

Freight inspectors determine if freight is secure and comes with the proper documentation. They inspect, manage and document freight shipments while verifying that the content comply with local, national and international regulations.

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Personality Type

• Realistic / Conventional

Knowledge

• Principles of cargo stowage

  Understand the principles of cargo stowage. Understand procedures by which containers should be efficiently loaded and unloaded, taking into account gravitational forces that are exerted during transportation.

• Hazardous freight regulations

  Know the most widely applied regulatory schemes for the transportation of dangerous materials. Know specific regulatory frameworks such as IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) for air transport, or International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code ("IMDG Code") for transportation of hazardous materials by sea.

• Transportation methods

  Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and optimal work strategies.

• Freight transport methods

  Understand different modalities of transport such as air, sea, or intermodal freight transport. Specialise in one of the modalities and possess a deeper knowledge of the details and procedures of that modality.

Skills

• Analyse work-related written reports

  Read and comprehend job-related reports, analyse the content of reports and apply findings to daily work operations.

• Prepare freight shipment reports

  Compose and submit freight shipment reports. Include detailed information on freight conditions and freight handling; report problems if necessary.

• Supervise loading of cargo

  Supervise the process of loading equipment, cargo, goods and other items. Ensure that all cargo is handled and stored properly in accordance with regulations and standards.

• Inspect freight

  Inspect, document, and manage freight shipments; verify that all content complies with national, international and local regulations.

• Monitor temperature in manufacturing process of food and beverages

  Monitor and control required temperatures in the different phases of production until the product reaches suitable properties according to specifications.

• Inspect hazardous freight in accordance with regulations

  Inspect and take into account regulations on hazardous or delicate freight such as biomedical waste, transplant organs, and blood. Freight may have to cross national borders on its journey to its destination. Comply with legal freight regulations to avoid fines for the transportation company or the organisation that initiated the shipment.

• Adjust weight of cargo to capacity of freight transport vehicles

  Adapt weight of cargo to capacity of freight transport vehicles. Oversee the maximum load capacity of the vehicle in question and the weight of each individual crate in the shipment.

• Conduct fact finding

  Determine relevant facts in order to conduct audits.

• Provide advice on breaches of regulation

  Advise on preventive and corrective actions; correct any breaches of or non-compliance with legal regulations.

• Ensure compliance with shipment regulations

  Ensure compliance with shipment laws, regulations and policies; keep shipments secure and damage free; ensure the safety of staff members handling the cargo.

• Handle freight inspection equipment

  Handle freight inspection equipment and tools such as bench top centrifuges, depth indicators, notebook computers, tape measures, and water samplers.

• Observe freight shipment loaders

  Observe process of freight loading; ensure that crew complies with all applicable regulations and procedures; stow heavy and potentially dangerous cargo.

• Keep task records

  Organise and classify records of prepared reports and correspondence related to the performed work and progress records of tasks.

• Use rigging tools

  Employ rigging tools such as cables, ropes, pulleys and winches to safely secure high structures.

• Supervise unloading of cargo

  Supervise unloading processes for equipment, cargo, goods and other items. Ensure that everything is handled and stored correctly in accordance with regulations and standards.

• Accommodate cargo in freight transport vehicle

  Properly position, cushion, restrain and balance cargo.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB