Seals Series, Volume 5 —
Did you know that more shipments are moved on pallets and in crates than in full containers?
It’s true—and, unfortunately, many of those less-than-load (LTL) Dangerous Goods shipments are not as secure as their shippers think. Some shippers feel that once the shipment has left their facility, they are no longer responsible for its safe arrival at its destination.
That’s a potentially dangerous—and expensive—mindset.
Most people in the Dangerous Goods industry know how to use security seals to protect full truck loads and containers. But until recently there hasn’t been a versatile, cost-effective and tamper-proof security seal to protect pallets or crates.
What could happen?
After your LTL hazmat shipments—usually on pallets or crates—are picked up by a cartage or trucking company, what happens to them?
They’re taken to their respective warehouses, where they’re sorted and shipped to freight forwarders, airports, or other long-haul trucking companies. During this whole process your shipment is in the possession of any number of handlers, frequently untended—and vulnerable.
You don’t have to be ultra-paranoid to imagine what can happen to your Dangerous Goods along the way:
- Pallets can be cut open, and their contents stolen.
- Crates can be pried open and nailed shut again, with no evidence of entry.
- Pallets or crates can break open, and their contents accidentally misplaced.
Someone with a particularly unpleasant agenda could even contaminate certain types of hazmat, with no one the wiser.
What could it cost?
Unprotected freight that’s stolen, damaged or contaminated is a direct loss. It can also result in:
- higher insurance premiums
- time-consuming Customs inspections
- unhappy customers
- lost sales
That’s not to mention the serious ramifications of having cargo intercepted during transit that’s used to smuggle guns, drugs, or other illegal materials.
You can’t prevent all theft or tampering, but you should know with 100% certainty if your shipment has been compromised. Fact is, unless your pallets and crates are shipped with tamper-proof seals, your Dangerous Goods and your bottom line are at risk.
How to protect your pallets and crates?
Until recently, there hasn’t been a versatile and cost-effective way to protect pallets or crates from theft or tampering.
What about pallet bags, tamper-evident tapes and banding clips? These products have either proven too expensive, too limited in application, too difficult to learn how to apply. Some just take too long, and others require expensive application tools.
But today, you can protect your pallets and crates easily and inexpensively. The patented Snap-N-Secure™ is the first pallet and crate seal that can be applied without the use of any tool. Simple hand pressure locks the seal in place.
The Snap-N-Secure alerts you to any tampering your shipment may have suffered. Any tampering attempt will cause the high-strength polycarbonate bands to crack at predetermined indication points. Aggressive tampering will shatter the housing. It is impossible to reassemble or hide tampering of this uniquely printed security seal.
LTL shipments are uniquely vulnerable to theft and tampering. It’s about time someone invented a pallet and crate seal that gives less-than-load shipments a full load of security.
Want to learn more about how seals can enhance your operation’s Dangerous Goods security? Call 800.621.5808 to speak with one of Labelmaster’s security seal experts.
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Seals Series, Vol. 4: Ultimate hazmat security: C-TPAT Compliant Seals
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Fun facts you may not have known about famous seals.
