The barcode on a container solution works ok provided no one changes what's inside the container! Presumably the barcode would be linked to a database containing an inventory of what's inside the container. Few companies have the systems in place to generate an inventory per container load - most invoices contain orders for one customer which can be but a small part of a container load or indeed consist of many container loads.

But you often don't know how many containers or what proportion of a container is required to load the goods until you actually start loading them. At best someone might guess what goods have ended up in what container, but if a customs official opens up a container and checks contents against inventory who is to say any discrepancies aren't balanced out by the contents of other containers?

What is the difference between customs fraud and merely having put some goods in a different than expected container - something handled on the shop floor by fork lift drivers without access to any logistical database... Very few companies have logistical systems capable of handling container level inventories - Tesco, Guinness, some big pharma companies perhaps. It works for very high volume single product shipments, or container loads all destined for the one customer.

But don't expect your average small company operating across the border to implement such systems. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN...

Index of Frank's Diaries