The Cargo Integrity Group is a partnership of five global trade bodies collectively promoting high standards in the packing of cargo in freight containers and other transport units to avoid safety and environmental risks.
GSF’s other partners in the Cargo integrity Group are the Container Owners Association (COA), the International Cargo Handling Co-ordination Association (ICHCA International), the World Shipping Council (WSC) and TT Club, a consortium of marine and cargo insurers.
Cargo Integrity Group’s initial focus has been on promoting greater awareness of the guidance and advice contained in The Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units (the CTU Code) which is jointly published by three UN agencies, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
The CTU Code
The CTU Code sets out authoritative advice to shippers, packers and container operators on how goods should be packed and restrained within containers and the precautions to be taken with hazardous, abnormal and out-of-gauge loads. Although not mandatory, the Code’s advice is respected and relied upon by the international cargo handling and transport industries.
The Code also incudes advice on avoiding contamination of CTUs by insects and pests that could be unknowingly transferred to other countries and cause ecological and economic damage to ecosystems and agricultural crops and other natural resources.
The CTU Code – A Quick Guide
In 2020, Cargo Integrity Group published a summary of the guidance in the CTU Code as The CTU Code – A Quick Guide, which is available in seven languages. The Quick Guide is free to download and use and may be freely distributed provided the source is acknowledged and the contents unchanged.
| Title | Link |
| The CTU Code – A Quick Guide (English) | CTU Code – A Quick Guide ENG |
| The CTU Code – A Quick Guide (French) | CTU Code – A Quick Guide FRE |
| The CTU Code – A Quick Guide (Spanish) | CTU Code – A Quick Guide SPA |
| The CTU Code – A Quick Guide (Arabic) | CTU Code – A Quick Guide ARB |
| The CTU – A Quick Guide (Russian) | CTU Code – A Quick Guide RUS |
| The CTU – A Quick Guide (Chinese) | CTU Code – A Quick Guide SCH |
| The CTU – A Quick Guide (Italian) | CTU Code – A Quick Guide ITA |
The Container Packing Checklist
The Quick Guide contains a Container Packing Checklist that presents the principal points of the Code regarding the packing of intermodal containers as a 34-question checklist. If any of the questions are answered ‘No’ the user is advised to halt the packing process and to seek further advice on that specific point. Each question includes a link to the relevant sections (s) of the CTU Code. The Checklist is also available in seven languages and pdf versions have been produced that include links to the relevant sections of the CTU Code.
| Title | Link |
| The Container Packing Checklist (English) | Container Packing Checklist ENG |
| The Container Packing Checklist (French) | Container Packing Checklist FRE |
| The Container Packing Checklist (Spanish) | Container Packing Checklist SPA |
| The Container Packing Checklist (Arabic) | Container Packing Checklist ARB |
| The Container Packing Checklist (Russian) | Container Packing Checklist RUS |
| The Container Packing Checklist (Chinese) | Container Packing Checklist SCH |
| The Container Packing Checklist (Italian) | Container Packing Checklist ITA |
To contact the Cargo Integrity Group please email the GSF Secretariat at secretariat@globalshippersforum.com
