The role of the cargo surveyor is to oversee transport projects and make sure everything is done safely, efficiently, and up to international shipping standards. But not everybody understands this.
Here we will be dispelling 4 myths about cargo surveyors, and why they are not true:
1. Cargo surveyors are only there to take pictures and point fingers when something goes wrong
Nobody likes the feeling of someone looking over their shoulder, scrutinizing their every move. Especially if that person is only there to check things off a list and fill out a useless report.
It is true that cargo surveyors take a lot of pictures and will call out mistakes if they see them, but that is certainly not all the surveyors are doing. Good Cargo surveyors are involved from the beginning of a project to help create proactive and strategic plans in order to avoid risk to people and cargo, as well as intervene before anything goes wrong on site.
Competent Cargo surveyors are not on site to just take a few pictures and look over your shoulder, they are proactively involved in keeping everyone safe from the beginning.
2. They request unnecessary planning documentations
It can be frustrating to be ready for a project to start, only to find out the survey company has requested what looks like a novel’s worth of documents to fill out and write before anything happens. Paperwork can feel like someone holding down the brake while you press on the gas.
But, despite what some people may think, the reason the surveyor is asking you for the all the planning documents is so the project can happen faster. That’s right. A well-planned project is not just significantly safer with no incidents and accidents, but is also significantly faster. Nothing slows down a project more than damage due to an avoidable incident.
Planning helps companies get to the goal line and surveyors want companies to win.
3. They only take care of the cargo
There is more to a project than the cargo itself. Of course, the point of shipping anything is to get a piece of equipment from one place to another. But that does not mean that is the only thing that matters.
Believe it or not, survey companies do not want people to get hurt. Cargo surveyors are not just on site to take care of the cargo. They are there for the health and safety of everyone and everything involved and work hard to make sure a project is avoiding risk. Generally, when cargo is safe, the people working hard to transport the cargo are safe too.
4. Often the surveyor does not know what they are talking about
There is a saying that those who cannot do, teach. So is it true that those who cannot ship, survey?
Although many believe this is true, most surveyors have many more years of experience than the average heavy lift operator and oversee projects every day. Nordic Maritime Solutions only hires Master Mariners, Naval Architects, and Engineers.
Not only do they have years of experience, but they have had enough hands-on experience to know how to navigate difficult situations.
Stop believing these 4 myths about cargo surveyors. Nordic Maritime Solutions performs door to door cargo surveys so we can provide you with peace of mind by being your eyes, ears, and voice on site at every stage.