Loading is not finished when the last box is in: once the lid closes, what is inside stays invisible until the next opening. Before closing, the picker looks at three things.
- Height: the top-row boxes must not touch the plate rail or the lid.
- Gaps: boxes should shift a few millimetres when pushed by hand and then stay where they are. Too much space lets them slide en route; no space at all stops air moving.
- Plate: it must be in place and fully seated, not pushed out of its rail by a box.
The top row causes most of the trouble. When the container is filled to the brim the top boxes touch the plate; direct contact cools that surface more than intended and leaves freezing marks on some products. A box touching the lid meets outside air directly every time the lid opens, so such a load is dropped by one row.
If the lid resists, do not press it shut: it means something inside is standing wrong. Leave the container open, recheck the load, plate and rails, and restack the top row if needed. The container does not go to dispatch until this is resolved.
When loading ends, the container number, dispatch reference and box count go on one line, with missing or damaged packages noted separately. When a box turns out to be missing at delivery, that line is where to look. If the person who closes the lid and the person who takes the last look are different, the mistake passes a second pair of eyes.
On a mixed load, each product's position is checked against the dispatch plan rather than ordered by assumed closeness to the door or plate.
