Quantity and quality records are central to a cargo transaction, but “the terminal will weigh and sample it” is not a complete control plan. The cargo owner, terminal and independent surveyor perform different functions, and the contract should identify which result governs each commercial decision.
The plan must be agreed before cargo moves. Sampling after lots have been mixed or requesting a condition report after packaging has changed may no longer answer the original question.
Separate four control questions
- Quantity: how much cargo was received, stored, loaded or dispatched?
- Quality: what does a representative sample show about the specified characteristics?
- Condition: what was visible about cargo or packaging at a stated point in time?
- Identity: which lot, contract or document does the cargo record belong to?
One record rarely answers all four.
The cargo owner’s role
The cargo owner or contracting trader defines the commercial standard. It should specify:
- contractual quantity basis;
- product specification and tolerance;
- sampling and analysis method;
- point and time of determination;
- approved laboratory or surveyor, if required;
- procedure for sealed and retained samples;
- treatment of discrepancies;
- party whose certificate is final or evidential under the contract.
For grain and feed contracts, GAFTA maintains dedicated sampling rules and a standard for superintendents. Whether those rules apply depends on the actual contract; their existence illustrates why sampling should follow an agreed method rather than an improvised scoop from an accessible pile.
The independent surveyor’s role
An appointed surveyor may witness operations, inspect condition, draw samples, supervise weighing or issue reports within the appointment. Independence does not eliminate the need for clear instructions.
The appointment should state:
- principal and interested parties;
- cargo and lot references;
- place and stage of attendance;
- sampling or inspection standard;
- required number and distribution of samples;
- sealing, labeling and custody instructions;
- laboratory destination;
- report recipients;
- escalation procedure for discrepancies.
Survey access must be coordinated with the terminal’s safety and operating rules.
The terminal’s role
The terminal provides the physical operation and operational records within its service scope. Depending on the project, this may include certified weighbridge data, counts, receipt and dispatch records, access for an appointed surveyor and identification of the cargo lot presented for control.
The terminal does not automatically certify contractual quality or become an independent surveyor because it provides weighing or basic operational checks. Its records should be described accurately in the contract and final file.
Understand the quantity basis
Different stages may produce different legitimate measurements:
- transport-document quantity;
- weighbridge gross, tare and net data;
- unit count multiplied by declared or measured unit mass;
- vessel-based quantity assessment by an appointed surveyor;
- warehouse receipt and dispatch reconciliation;
- packing-line or bag count records.
Agree which method controls invoicing, customs data, carrier documents and internal reconciliation. A difference does not automatically prove loss; it first requires comparison of method, timing, moisture, packaging, tolerances and document basis.
Sampling must follow the lot structure
A sample is useful only if it represents the defined lot under the agreed method. Before operations, identify:
- what constitutes one lot;
- whether incoming lots may be mixed;
- where and when increments are taken;
- who witnesses sampling;
- how composite and retain samples are formed;
- how samples are sealed and labeled;
- how chain of custody is recorded;
- what happens when results differ.
If cargo is to be bagged, decide whether sampling occurs before filling, during filling, after filling or at more than one stage. Each point answers a different control question.
Condition and packaging records
For breakbulk and bagged cargo, quantity may be less contentious than visible condition. The plan may require:
- packaging count and type;
- visible damage categories;
- wet, torn, distorted or contaminated units;
- marks and lot identity;
- photographs that avoid sensitive terminal or vessel information;
- segregation of non-conforming units;
- joint attendance or notice to interested parties.
The report should distinguish observation from cause. A photograph of damaged packaging does not by itself establish when or why damage occurred.
A pre-operation control matrix
Create a simple matrix with columns for:
control item → method → location/stage → responsible party → witness → record issued → recipient → discrepancy process
Include quantity, quality, condition, identity and customs-related records. This prevents two parties from assuming the other has appointed the surveyor or retained the sample.
Information for the terminal inquiry
Provide the cargo, lot structure, contractual measurement basis, appointed surveyor, required access, sampling standard, expected records and discrepancy procedure. Sensitive contract terms can be limited to the operational instructions the terminal actually needs.
New Energy supports certified weighing, operational cargo records, basic quality-control interfaces and access for independent surveyors within agreed terminal procedures. The buyer remains responsible for appointing the surveyor and defining the contractual control method unless another written scope is agreed.