Container loading check
A container loading check is on-site supervision of the last four hours before your goods leave the Turkish factory. BuyerSide verifies quantity as cartons enter the container, checks packing and stowage, photographs the loaded container and records the seal number. From €290. Booking requires 72 hours' notice because it must be synchronised with the factory's truck.
Why the last four hours matter
Goods that passed inspection on Tuesday can still arrive wrong. The gap between a clean inspection and a wrong container is loading, and it is where the most expensive errors are made.
- Short shipment — the count in the container does not match the packing list
- SKU substitution — the correct total, the wrong mix, discovered six weeks later at your warehouse
- Crushing — heavy cartons stacked on light ones, damage that looks like transit damage but happened before the doors closed
- Wrong container — a dented, previously-repaired or contaminated box accepted because it arrived and the schedule was tight
- Missing documents — export marks, packing lists or certificates not physically in the container where they should be
- Seal mismatch — the number on the bill of lading is not the number on the door
What we do on site
- Before loading
We check the empty container: condition, cleanliness, dryness, previous repairs, odour, and the container number photographed against the booking.
- During loading
Cartons are counted as they enter. We photograph the stack pattern at intervals, check that heavy goes below light, and stop the load if the count diverges from the packing list.
- Sample verification
Random cartons are opened and verified against the packing list — the cheapest defence against SKU substitution there is.
- Sealing
The doors are closed and sealed in our presence. The seal number is photographed on the seal, on the door, and recorded in the report against the bill of lading.
- Report same day
Photographs, final count, seal number, container number and any deviation, sent before the truck reaches the port.
Price
| Scope | Price |
|---|---|
| One container, one site, within 150 km of Istanbul | €290 |
| Each additional container loaded the same day at the same site | €140 |
| Combined with a pre-shipment inspection on the same visit | €200 |
| Travel beyond 150 km | at cost, quoted in advance |
Frequently asked questions
How much notice do you need?
Seventy-two hours. Loading supervision has to be synchronised with the factory's truck booking, and trucks in Türkiye move earlier than promised more often than later.
What if the load is short?
We stop the loading and call you before the doors close. That is the entire value of being there: a short load discovered in the factory yard is a conversation, and the same short load discovered at your warehouse is a claim.
Do you supervise groupage (LCL) loading?
At the factory, yes — we verify what leaves the site. Once the goods reach a consolidation warehouse they are outside our supervision, which is one reason we tell LCL buyers to book the check at the factory rather than at the consolidator.