In international shipping, container seals play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and integrity of goods. Shipping lines require that all containers be secured with at least one seal before they are allowed to be transported.
What are Container Seals used for?
Container Seals once sealed, the seal cannot be opened without cutting it. Since it can only be removed once, this ensures that the container remains unopened until it has been delivered to the recipient.
As such, the main function of the seal is to deter the theft of goods, as any broken seal typically indicates that it has been tampered with.
It also minimizes the risk of an unauthorized person accessing the container to transport ilegal cargo (such as contraband or drugs).
Common Types of Container Seals
Container seals vary in shape, size, and material. Depending on the shipping line, exporter, or the required security level, containers can be sealed with different types of security devices. The most commonly used container seals are:
1.Bar Seal
2.Container Bolt Seal
3.Cable Seal
4.Plastic Seal
How to use the Bolt seal?
- To use the seal, you should snap the 2 pieces apart.
- Connect the base to the pin to lock the bolt seal.
- Then the bolt seal can’t be opened.
- Cut the bolt seal, to remove the seal.
What are the numbers we see on a container seal?
Each seal should be identifiable by a series of numbers and/or letters.
In a typical export process, the prime mover driver will collect an empty container from the depot, together with a seal.
The haulier/shipper will need this seal number for documents related to the container, such as permit declaration, the electronic shipping note (ESN) and on the Bill of Lading (BL or BoL).
Sometimes, diferent seal types e.g. a bolt versus a cable seal can have the same seal number. It is thus recommended for shipper or packing warehouses to take photos of the container after it has been properly sealed, to avoid confusion.
How to cut the seal?
Generally, security seals are designed to be single-use, meaning that the seals cannot be removed without being destroyed.
Before removing a container seal, it is important that you check for any signs of tampering. There is a posssibility of tampering if the container seal shows signs of having been cut or it is malformed. Also, the pin and barrel of the high quality container bolt seal should have the same numbering.
– Bolt Seals: This characterises a bolt that is fixed on the door latch of a container, and a cap that is clicked on to secure it. Bolt seals need a tool, such as bolt cutters, to cut it. The seal’s pin should be cut along its length to open it.
-Bar Seals: A cutting machine can be used to cut a bar seal.
– Cable Seals: Cable seals are made of a metal cable that glides through the door latch on shipping containers or trucks, and locks when the cable is inserted through the hole. Cable seals needs a tool such as cable cutters or pliers to cut it. They split into separate strands that cannot be resealed when cut.
-Plastic seals: Scissors or wire cutter can cut the plastic seals. Some plastic seals include a tear off tab to easily remove the seal. The tear off tab also destroys the seal so it cannot be re-used.
Best Container Seal Supplier
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