Many freight transport incidents are related to improper packaging practices in freight containers, including improper cargo securing, overloading and incorrect declaration of contents. This is of serious concern, especially since the victims of such incidents are often members of the general public or workers in the transport and supply chain sectors, who usually do not control how containers are packed.
Moreover, it is estimated that improper packaging practices, especially those related to load distribution, cargo securing, classification and declaration, cost the global transport and logistics sector more than US$6 billion annually.
It is therefore of utmost importance to protect lives and help the industry avoid financial losses by applying good cargo packaging practices based on knowledge and science. Equally important is ensuring access to such good practices.
These good practices are contained in the ILO-IMO-UNECE Code of Practice for the Packaging of Cargo Transport Units (CTU Code), which provides a non-binding global code of practice for the handling and packaging of containers for transport by land and sea.
This CTU Code was discussed at a UNECE seminar in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on 15 and 16 May 2025, organized by UNECE in cooperation with Uzbekistan Railways/Oʻzbekiston Temir Yoʻllari, Tashkent Tovarna Terminal and with the financial support of the Russian Federation.
Transport, customs and supply chain experts from Uzbekistan, joined by experts from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Turkey, and supported by experts from the Russian Federation, Sweden and the United Kingdom, addressed the following issues:
• Roles and responsibilities for packaging and handling of cargo in containers;
• Appropriate loading methods depending on the type of cargo, type of goods or its packaging;
• Container marking;
• Cargo securing methods;
• Cargo declarations.
Participants also completed practical exercises at the Tashkent-Tovarna terminal. In the first exercise, they visually inspected the containers, their markings and the loaded cargo. In the second exercise, they developed methods for securing a cable drum, stone pallet and heating equipment, and tested the fastenings in tilt tests.
The seminar facilitated a meaningful exchange of knowledge and experience aimed at preventing improper loading and securing practices. It also raised awareness among experts working along the Trans-Caspian and Almaty-Tehran-Istanbul freight corridors about the CTU Code and its practical application, in particular regarding loading and securing procedures.