Poorly secured cargo: the pre-departure check is also custody evidence

Maize on the road and firewood striking a car

Thuringia police reported on 17 September 2026 that a tractor had left the road between Steinbach-Hallenberg and Springstille the previous day. Its trailer, loaded with chopped maize, overturned onto the carriageway; a motorist swerved into the barrier, the road remained closed for hours and total damage was estimated at €150,000. The same day, Höxter police disclosed another case: pieces of firewood carried without a retaining net fell from a trailer on the B252, struck a VW and caused about €5,000 in damage.

Custody begins with securement

A manifest identifies what should travel, but it does not prove that weight, distribution, tie-down points, nets, doors or trailer limits were checked. That confirmation should create a pre-departure event: who inspected, which unit they observed, which method they applied, when they did it and which exceptions they found. Photographs and checklists help when they remain connected to the correct identifier and cannot be silently replaced after an incident.

Movement and tilt should open an exception

Movement, tilt or opening sensors can help identify an impact, rollover or separation of a cargo unit. The alert should be compared with the goods, planned configuration and defined limits rather than treated as automatic proof of damage. After an event, the team needs to know which lots were on the trailer, which may have been exposed and what inspection is required before the journey continues or delivery is accepted.

A DPP can connect requirements, evidence and decisions

A Digital Product Passport can associate each lot with its securement requirements, logistics unit, departure inspection, telemetry and post-exception decision. For agricultural goods, the origin-traceability principles promoted by FoodSteps (https://foodsteps.pt/) also help prevent spilled, contaminated or incompletely documented product from being confused with intact cargo. The record should expose the gap, not fill it with a favourable assumption.

Five practical controls

• Identify the lot, cargo unit, weight, centre of gravity and required restraint method.
• Record the pre-departure inspection with time, responsible person, photographs and exceptions.
• Connect sensors and equipment to the correct unit, with limits suited to the product and route.
• Open an exception after impact, tilt, opening or cargo loss; do not accept delivery automatically.
• Preserve the assessment and final decision — continue, reinspect, repackage, reject or destroy — without altering the original event.