Chair of the British Association of Dangerous Goods Professionals (BADGP) - and Managing Director of LRT, Dangerous Goods Consultancy and Training, Les Richings talks to Josh Finch.

While General Average allows shared loss in maritime incidents, recent cases (notably The Happy Aras) show claims can fail where shipowners are at fault—particularly through unseaworthiness, poor passage planning, or incompetent crew. In essence, shipowners must prove due diligence, while forwarders are rarely directly liable but should notify insurers if involved.

China’s revised Maritime Code is not a minor amendment. It is the first comprehensive overhaul since the Code entered into force in the early 1990s, and it reshapes several rules that freight forwarders deal with every day. Listen to find out more.

The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season is forecast to be slightly below average, but still carries significant risk, as even a single storm can cause severe disruption and loss. Thus, ports, terminals and logistics operators must maintain rigorous preparedness, operational discipline, and insurance cover to ensure resilience against increasingly unpredictable extreme weather.

Now in its tenth year, the TT Club Innovation in Safety Award highlights how practical innovation across the cargo‑handling supply chain is improving safety through a combination of technology, frontline insight, and leadership commitment. The 2026 winners and highly commended entries demonstrate that meaningful progress comes from sharing ideas, challenging convention, and turning operational experience into solutions that prevent harm and strengthen industry resilience.

Digital site induction has become a critical safety and efficiency tool for ports and terminals, shaping behaviour, communicating risk controls, and ensuring individuals are prepared before entering complex operational environments. As demonstrated by PD Ports’ adoption of a digital induction platform, modern systems reduce congestion, improve compliance and safety understanding, support sustainability goals, and deliver measurable operational benefits.

Load boards are now central to road freight brokerage, offering speed, visibility, and flexible access to capacity, but their openness has also increased exposure to fraud, cargo theft, and operational risk. Careful assessment of when they are used, strict control over shared information, and clear governance and training are essential to balance efficiency with security.

Josh Finch and Alison Wixley, Senior Claims Executive at TT Club discuss the importance of standard trading terms and conditions in the logistics industry, focusing on their incorporation into contracts and the implications of limitations of liability.

They touch on:

• Role of standard terms

• Common incorporation issue

• Case example of ambiguity

• Legal status of email contracts 

• Updating terms

• Limitation of liability rationale

• Education and communication

• Exceptions to limitations

New legal developments from updated industry STCs, to the freshly adopted UN Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents, bring opportunity.

Cases like Overseas Medical Supplies v Orient Transport remind us that when forwarders take on extra roles, such as arranging insurance, additional due diligence and care is required to avoid unexpected losses.