Container identity and loss prevention

An unidentified container looks like spare equipment at a branch. A persistent number ties it to the trip, its last location and a responsible role.

4 August 2026Updated 28 September 2026

Short answer

Give each container one persistent number and link it to trip and return records; update its last location and responsible role at every handover. Verify an unreadable label against the master record and replace it with the same number rather than opening a new identity.

An unidentified container looks like spare equipment at a branch. For reusable containers the GS1 GRAI key identifies an asset by type and, where needed, individually; identity turns the container into a traceable logistics asset.

Four fields to keep on return

Container number
Last seen location
Responsible role
Next planned movement

Put the number in a visible place and link it to the dispatch record. If a label becomes unreadable, verify it against the master record and replace it keeping the history. If count differences keep appearing at the same point, printing more labels is not enough; have identity scanned at that handover step.