Have the agreed specification at the delivery point
The inspector needs more than the quantity on a delivery note. Provide dimensions, construction or drawing reference, condition expectations and treatment requirements. Where an exchange product or particular CP design is required, name it. Define how discrepancies are recorded and who can accept or reject the delivery.
Check physical suitability separately from treatment
Look for obvious damage, loose parts, protruding fixings and construction differences. Compare the offered design with the cargo support and handling requirements. Do not perform improvised load tests or infer a safe capacity from appearance. Refer suitability questions to the supplier or competent packaging specialist.
Review markings and packaging scope
Inspect the required marks and record concerns about legibility or completeness. Include collars, cases and loose timber supplied with the order. An inspection procedure should state which units are checked and what happens if a concern is found; a casual glance at the front of a stack is not a defined acceptance process.
Quarantine with a reason
Give questioned stock a clear identifier and keep it out of the pick location. Record the supplier, order, quantity and issue, with photographs where useful. Release it only after an authorised decision within your process. This reduces the chance that someone under dispatch pressure picks the same pallet again.
Check again before dispatch
Delivery inspection and packing inspection occur at different times. Stock may have been moved, repaired or exposed to unsuitable conditions between them. A final check should confirm that the pallet and any added timber still match the agreed packaging plan and that the load is ready for its actual handling route.
Sources & further reading
Forestry Commission: wood packaging material for import and export (opens in a new tab)References reviewed 7 October 2026. Confirm the current rules for your shipment with the relevant authority or freight adviser.