With the intention of standardizing and equalizing the different European regulations of each member country, on May 20, Royal Decree 563/2017 was approved in Spain, aimed at regulating the technical inspections carried out on the different commercial vehicles that circulate by the Spanish state.
Therefore, from the moment of the approval of the decree, all carriers will be subject to the same inspections and the same criteria throughout the European Union, ceasing to be more or less restrictive countries than others and thereby avoiding delays until sanctions in the international transport of goods.
What inspections does the packing and stowage regulations contemplate
The main inspections carried out under this packaging and stowage regulation have to do mainly with the intention of guaranteeing the safety of both the occupants of the vehicle and those who circulate around it.
You can check the total number of inspections and the package of measures designed for each case in the Official State Gazette that was published on the day of the start-up.
However, in general, the following inspections stand out:
- That the driver has all the necessary documentation in order both to circulate and to guarantee the correct operation of the vehicle
- The technical condition of the vehicle
- The correct, stable and secure fastening of the vehicle’s load
- The correct packaging of the merchandise.
These inspections can be carried out on the same road, thanks to a mobile unit suitable for this purpose, or if the control agents see fit, at the nearest ITV facilities.
How does the new packaging and stowage regulations affect international freight transport?
The new regulations have focused mainly on the aspect of packaging and stowage, since the rest of the actions were common to all or almost all EU countries.
Thus, correct packaging and stowage is no longer the sole responsibility of the carrier (in charge of fixing the goods and ensuring their stability) but also of the manufacturer, who must ensure proper packaging.
In the case of palletized goods, the boxes should be grouped uniformly on the pallet, so that they are anchored, firm, equal in height and with a block aspect.
If the boxes are not of the same size, the heaviest and the lighter ones should be placed first, covering the entire structure with transparent film of great resistance.
With this, the inspector will pay a great deal of attention to ensure that the movement, change of position or impact of the load against the walls of the vehicle or to each other is minimal, in addition to not being able to go out of the space and load surface .