{{unreferenced, date=February 2009
Cargo sampling is the taking and retaining of true representative samples of
commodity
In economics, a commodity is an economic good, usually a resource, that has full or substantial fungibility: that is, the market treats instances of the good as equivalent or nearly so with no regard to who produced them.
The price of a co ...
products, usually to facilitate payment to a shipper for cargo leaving its port of loading.
Samples may be taken from all points in the
supply chain
In commerce, a supply chain is a network of facilities that procure raw materials, transform them into intermediate goods and then final products to customers through a distribution system. It refers to the network of organizations, people, activ ...
, from
warehouses, terminals,
barges
Barge nowadays generally refers to a flat-bottomed inland waterway vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. The first modern barges were pulled by tugs, but nowadays most are pushed by pusher boats, or other vessels. ...
,
ships
A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...
,
pipelines or service stations.
Accurately taken and labeled samples with an unequivocal
chain of custody
Chain of custody (CoC), in legal contexts, is the chronological documentation or paper trail that records the sequence of custody, control, transfer, analysis, and disposition of materials, including physical or electronic evidence. Of particula ...
are essential to all operations. Effective and consistent cargo sampling requires a specialized staff of trained individuals who are responsible for taking such samples and transporting them to the corresponding testing laboratories.
Freight transport