What documentation required for the carriage of cargoes?

Pre & Post-Loading Documentation

If a client would like to send a specific cargo on a voyage from A to B, a ‘Shipping Note’ for the cargo is completed by the client and sent to the shipping company or its agent. After a booking list of all the cargoes for the shipment is compiled, it is sent to the vessel so that the chief officer can plan the stowage and arrange the safest loading plan.

Once the cargo is finally delivered to the vessel, a receipt is to be attained by the client. When the cargo is loaded onto the ship, this is called a ‘Mate’s Receipt.’ The purpose of this receipt is to confirm that the cargo has been loaded and stowed properly within the hold.

A duplicate of the ‘Mates Receipt’ is returned to the shipping company/agent, so that a ‘Bill of Lading’ can be issued to the client. The purpose of the Bill of Lading is to confirm that the cargo is in good condition based on the remarks on the mate’s receipt. From there, an invoice is created and given to the client before being settled with the shipping company.

There are two important documents that are required before loading packaged dangerous goods onto the vessel, which are:

• Document of Compliance
• Informing that the ship has been suitably constructed to carry dangerous goods.
• Dangerous Goods Declaration
• Information that the specified dangerous good cargos have been identified, packaged, labeled and classified correctly.

It should be noted that for bulk grain cargoes, the vessel must carry the Grain Code as per regulation.

Officers should satisfy themselves that the conditions of the cargo agree with the description of the goods in the accompanying documents given to the vessel. This also ensures that the cargo manifest, mate’s receipt and bill of lading is correct.