Knowledge check: Load Documentation
Scenario: You are the safety director for a regional for-hire trucking company. One of your drivers calls from XYZ Foods and wants to break the seal on the trailer and back into the dock. The bill of lading says “SLC,” and there is no one readily available from the customer to witness the seal being broken. The driver has waited for 30 minutes already.
Question: Do you let the driver break the seal so they can prepare for the unloading crew?
Yes
No
Knowledge check: Load Documentation: Answer
Answer: No. Do not let them break the seal until a customer supervisor can be there as witness to sign the bills that the seal was intact upon arrival.
Some van and refrigerated shippers will ship under what is referred to as “Shipper Load and Count, Sealed” or “SLC” arrangement. Ensure you know the limits of your shipper’s responsibilities under their SLC arrangement. For example, some shippers will not seal the trailer until the driver has had a chance to secure the cargo. In such cases, the carrier may not be responsible for shortages but will be responsible for damage due to shifting.
Remind your drivers not to break a seal on a SLC shipment without direct permission from your company, the shipper, the receiver, or a direct order from law enforcement. The purpose of the shipper’s seal is to assure the shipper and receiver that no one was in the trailer between their facilities. Removing a shipper’s seal may expose your company to a claim unnecessarily.