Stowage and unstowage times
Introduction
The stowage of a cargo "Cargo (transport)") is the placement, distribution, protection and adequate fixation inside a vehicle of merchandise that has been delivered to the carrier, suitably packaged, if applicable, so that it travels safely to its destination.
In the maritime field, stowage is considered solely as the action of placing cargo on board a ship. Its objective is to ensure that it is transported with maximum safety for the ship and its crew, occupying the minimum possible space, avoiding breakdowns and minimizing delays at the port of discharge.") Hence, safety and economy can be identified as basic elements of stowage.
The discipline that addresses the techniques, regulations, tools and other elements of stowage is called "cargo security").
The regulation of stowage in the different modes of transport
Cargo stowage is regulated by various regulations depending on the corresponding mode of transport. For example:.
Roadside stowage
In 1972 the Safety Code appeared in the United Kingdom, and it was the first time that an official publication was issued that included guidelines and information on the stowage of loads on the road. A few years later, Germany issued the first VDI 2700 standards on the same subject. Other countries followed such as Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and the United States, among others.
At the European level, various technical standards began to appear that favored the development of this field, such as the standard EN 12195-1:2003 ("Calculations of clamping forces"). Likewise, various public guides emerged that tried to facilitate the dissemination and understanding of this knowledge. Thus, in 2006 and later in 2014, the EU published the European Guide to Best Practices on Securing Loads for Road Transport") and the IRU, the Code of Good Practice for the Safe Stowage of Cargo in Road Transport").