Freight inspector

Freight inspectors

Description

Freight inspectors determine if freight is secure and comes with the proper documentation. They inspect, manage and document freight shipments while verifying that the content complies with local, national, and international regulations.

Freight inspectors typically do the following:

  • Inspect a variety of freight.
  • Determine if freight is tied securely.
  • Determine if crew complied with procedures while loading freight.
  • Ensure temperature and humidity is standard within the storage area.
  • Records freight condition and handling and notifies crews to reload freight or insert additional bracing or packing.
  • Measure height, width, and weight of freight.
  • Determine if freight can safely pass under bridges and through tunnels.
  • Place packing slip on freight.
  • Submit report of freight.
  • Affix warning signs on vehicles containing explosives or inflammatory or radioactive materials.
  • Review classes and weight information pertaining to questionable billing.
  • Assure proper charges are applied to shipments.
  • Inspect various freight on dock.
  • Establish and maintain effective communication service center personnel.
  • Adhere to training programs and direct orders.
  • Assist Freight Quality Manager in supporting claims reduction, training and freight quality support.

Other titles

The following job titles also refer to freight inspector:

freight & cargo inspector
principal surveyor
marine and cargo surveyor
inspector of freight
cargo surveyor
cargo inspector
freight and cargo inspector
freight surveyor

Working conditions

Freight inspectors may work for shipping companies, airlines, rail lines, trucking companies, state and national governments, or for any company that ships and receives a lot of freight.

Extensive travel may be involved, although for inspectors working at small companies, the traveling may simply mean walking from a warehouse out to the loading dock with a tape measure and clipboard.

Freight inspectors who work for governments and other regulatory agencies may need to fly frequently and across large distances, particularly if they work for the government of the United States, Canada, or another large nation. These professionals are often sent on fact-finding assignments throughout the country, where they must visit airports, warehouses, shipping docks, and other relevant locations.

Minimum qualifications

A high school diploma or equivalent is generally the minimum required to work as a freight inspector. However, for career advancement purposes, a more advanced degree, such as a bachelor’s degree in logistics, operations management, or a related field, is recommended.

ISCO skill level

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

  • the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
  • the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
  • the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Freight inspector is a Skill level 3 occupation.

Freight inspector career path

Similar occupations

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to freight inspector.

marine cargo inspector
international forwarding operations coordinator
maritime pilot
non-vessel operating common carrier
deck officer

Long term prospects

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of freight inspector. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of freight inspector with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

aviation communications and frequency coordination manager
logistics and distribution manager
agricultural machinery and equipment distribution manager
agricultural raw materials, seeds and animal feeds distribution manager
beverages distribution manager

Essential knowledge and skills

Essential knowledge

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of freight inspector.

  • Transportation methods: Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and optimal work strategies.
  • Freight transport methods: Understand different modalities of transport such as air, sea, or intermodal freight transport. Specialise in one of the modalities and possess a more profound knowledge of the details and procedures of that modality.
  • Hazardous freight regulations: Know the most widely applied regulatory schemes for the transportation of dangerous materials. Know specific regulatory frameworks such as IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) for air transport, or International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (“IMDG Code”) for transportation of hazardous materials by sea.
  • Principles of cargo stowage: Understand the principles of cargo stowage. Understand procedures by which containers should be efficiently loaded and unloaded, taking into account gravitational forces that are exerted during transportation.

Essential skills and competences

These skills are necessary for the role of freight inspector.

  • Observe freight shipment loaders: Observe process of freight loading; ensure that crew complies with all applicable regulations and procedures; stow heavy and potentially dangerous cargo.
  • Inspect hazardous freight in accordance with regulations: Inspect and take into account regulations on hazardous or delicate freight such as biomedical waste, transplant organs, and blood. Freight may have to cross national borders on its journey to its destination. Comply with legal freight regulations to avoid fines for the transportation company or the organisation that initiated the shipment.
  • Supervise unloading of cargo: Supervise unloading processes for equipment, cargo, goods and other items. Ensure that everything is handled and stored correctly in accordance with regulations and standards.
  • Supervise loading of cargo: Supervise the process of loading equipment, cargo, goods and other items. Ensure that all cargo is handled and stored properly in accordance with regulations and standards.
  • Keep task records: Organise and classify records of prepared reports and correspondence related to the performed work and progress records of tasks.
  • Inspect freight: Inspect, document, and manage freight shipments; verify that all content complies with national, international and local regulations.
  • Use rigging tools: Employ rigging tools such as cables, ropes, pulleys and winches to safely secure high structures.
  • Adjust weight of cargo to capacity of freight transport vehicles: Adapt weight of cargo to capacity of freight transport vehicles. Oversee the maximum load capacity of the vehicle in question and the weight of each individual crate in the shipment.
  • Accommodate cargo in freight transport vehicle: Properly position, cushion, restrain and balance cargo.
  • Conduct fact finding: Determine relevant facts in order to conduct audits.
  • Ensure compliance with shipment regulations: Ensure compliance with shipment laws, regulations and policies; keep shipments secure and damage-free; ensure the safety of staff members handling the cargo.
  • Handle freight inspection equipment: Handle freight inspection equipment and tools such as bench top centrifuges, depth indicators, notebook computers, tape measures, and water samplers.
  • Provide advice on breaches of regulation: Advise on preventive and corrective actions; correct any breaches of or non-compliance with legal regulations.
  • Monitor temperature in manufacturing process of food and beverages: Monitor and control required temperatures in the different phases of production until the product reaches suitable properties according to specifications.
  • Prepare freight shipment reports: Compose and submit freight shipment reports. Include detailed information on freight conditions and freight handling; report problems if necessary.
  • Analyse work-related written reports: Read and comprehend job-related reports, analyse the content of reports and apply findings to daily work operations.

Optional skills and competences

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of freight inspector. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

  • Use different communication channels: Make use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.
  • Show confidence: Demonstrate degrees of maturity by fully understanding one’s own qualities and abilities which can serve as sources of confidence in different situations.
  • Make independent operating decisions: Make immediate operating decisions as necessary without reference to others, taking into account the circumstances and any relevant procedures and legislation. Determine alone which option is the best for a particular situation.
  • Address problems critically: Identify the strengths and weaknesses of various abstract, rational concepts, such as issues, opinions, and approaches related to a specific problematic situation in order to formulate solutions and alternative methods of tackling the situation.
  • Have computer literacy: Utilise computers, IT equipment and modern day technology in an efficient way.

ISCO group and title

3359 – Regulatory government associate professionals not elsewhere classified


References
  1. Freight inspector – ESCO
  2. How to Become a Freight and Cargo Inspector in 5 Steps? | Indeed.com
  3. Freight Inspector Job Description – DiversityJobs
  4. What does a freight inspector do? – CareerExplorer
  5. Featured image: By United States Agency for International Development – From Twitter account of USAID, Public Domain
Last updated on February 1, 2023

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