Jetsam

A lot can happen to your freight while in transit. At times while your freight is traveling across the ocean, we hear cases about damaged or stolen cargo. Another possible threat to your container could be if the crew on the vessel intentionally throws it overboard. The reason for the crew throwing freight overboard is to lighten the load when the vessel encounters a harmful situation. Some examples include running into dangerous storms, a leak that grows into a flood on the ship, an accidental electrical fire onboard or a possible invasion from pirates. When the crew throws your cargo overboard to lighten the weight of the vessel, this is commonly referred to as jetsam.

Sometimes shippers confuse jetsam with flatsam. The difference is that flatsam is used to describe cargo that went overboard as a result of a sinking vessel. A jetsam can happen anywhere. We have seen throughout the years numerous ships throw different types of cargo overboard. That is why it is sometimes vital for shippers to get insurance incase anything were to happen to their containers while in transit. Of course, cleaning up the cargo at sea sometimes costs money at the expense of governments. That is why the United Kingdom passed the Merchant Shipping Act of 1995, stating that jetsam cargo shall remain the property of the owner and the procedures in place for jetsam cargo. When you are shipping international freight, lets hope that you do not have to deal with jetsam cargo issues.