Write the receiving plan before the container arrives
Name the receiving supervisor, unloading contractor and the person authorised to record or escalate a discrepancy. Keep the purchase order, packing list, bill of lading or delivery record, container and seal references, agreed drum schedule, current product safety data sheet and any survey instruction available to the receiving team. Define when unloading must pause for a carrier, insurer or independent surveyor. The receiving plan should follow the site’s safety procedures, local requirements and the actual cargo documents; an editorial checklist is not an unloading method.
Inspect the CTU and seal before opening
The IMO/ILO/UNECE CTU Code advises the consignee or receiver to check the cargo transport unit’s external condition and document damage that may have affected the cargo. Before removing the seal, compare its number with the transport document and photograph the container number, all doors, locking gear and seal in place. If the seal is missing, damaged or different, or the unit is significantly distorted, do not silently continue. Record the finding and contact the carrier or CTU operator under the agreed receiving procedure.
Control the door-opening and unpacking risk
Cargo may have shifted in transit and can press against the doors or move when securing material is released. Use trained personnel, the receiving site’s exclusion zones, suitable access and lifting equipment, and the current SDS and emergency procedure. The CTU Code also calls for attention to the unit’s atmosphere before personnel enter. If leakage, abnormal heat, fumes, unstable cargo or another unsafe condition is suspected, stop access and obtain competent safety advice. Do not enter, move or rework the load merely to complete a count.
Create a package-by-package condition record
Record the opening date, time and location; container and seal numbers; delivery vehicle or release reference; and the names of those present. Photograph the first view before cargo is moved, then record drum counts, visible marks and labels, deformation, corrosion, puncture, open closures, leakage, contamination and securing condition as unloading progresses. Identify affected drums without altering their marks. Where it is safe and contractually permitted, keep them separate for review. The record should distinguish pre-existing container damage, cargo damage discovered during unpacking and damage caused during local handling.
Reconcile count and quantity without misusing VGM
Compare the received drum count with the final packing list container by container. Reconcile the declared net product quantity, drum net-fill schedule, package gross weights and any agreed weighing evidence. Container VGM is the verified gross mass of the packed container for the SOLAS process; it does not by itself prove the delivered net tonnes of bitumen. Do not calculate a shortage by subtracting estimated drum or container tare from VGM. If the contract requires destination weighing, record the authorised scale, tickets, vehicle or container identity and timing. Use the drum weight and VGM guide to keep these quantities separate.
Separate transport condition from product conformity
An intact drum does not prove that the bitumen meets the purchase specification, and a dented drum does not by itself prove that the product is off-specification. Review packaging condition, quantity and quality as separate acceptance lines. If arrival sampling or testing is required, use the method, sampling point, lot definition, sampler, witness, seals, custody and laboratory agreed in the contract. ASTM D140/D140M-16(2023) applies to sampling asphalt materials at manufacture, storage or delivery and states that sampling is as important as testing. Do not improvise a sample from a leaking or convenient drum and treat it as representative of the shipment. See the sampling and batch-traceability guide.
Open a discrepancy file while the evidence is fresh
Keep the delivery and opening record, photographs and original files, seal evidence, packing list, bill of lading or transport document, purchase order, correspondence, survey reports, weight tickets and a package-level exception list together. Notify the parties required by the contract, carriage terms and insurance procedure within their applicable time limits; there is no universal claim deadline for every shipment. Record what was observed, not an unsupported cause or value. Follow competent safety instructions before moving, repacking, disposing of or using affected material, and preserve reasonable access for an agreed survey where required.
Add destination receipt requirements to the RFQ or purchase order
Use this wording: “Product: Bitumen [60/70 or 80/100]. Governing specification: [reference and revision]. Net quantity and packing: [details]. Final packing list must show drum count, net and gross weights by container, container and seal numbers and batch or lot references. Destination receiver: [name and location]. Required arrival inspection: CTU exterior and seal, first-opening record, drum tally and condition exceptions, agreed weighing, and sampling or survey only as instructed. Discrepancy contacts, notice route and evidence to retain: [details].” Review the Bitumen 60/70 page or Bitumen 80/100 page, then send a destination-ready enquiry.
Official sources and scope — reviewed 5 November 2026
Sources: the IMO overview of the IMO/ILO/UNECE CTU Code; CTU Code section 12.1 on receipt and general precautions; CTU Code section 12.2 on unpacking and documenting cargo damage; and ASTM D140/D140M-16(2023), Standard Practice for Sampling Asphalt Materials, shown by ASTM as active. This buyer guide does not replace the CTU Code, SDS, site procedure, survey instruction, carriage contract, insurance terms or applicable law, and it does not determine whether a claim is valid.