Five Survey Report Prompt Templates for Cargo Surveyors

How to use these

Paste a template into an AI assistant, then replace each bracketed field with your own findings. Treat the output as a skeleton. A survey report is a professional document and its facts must come from your inspection, photographs and measurements.

1. Dry box container

Prompt: ‘Act as an experienced marine cargo surveyor. Draft a complete cargo insurance damage survey report for a dry box container shipment.’ Include:

• Surveyor’s details, date, time and location of inspection (port, yard or warehouse).
• Vessel, voyage, container and seal numbers; shipper and consignee.
• Cargo description and packing: commodity, weight, packaging.
• Circumstances of loss or damage, narrated and observed.
• External and internal container condition: rust, dents, structural issues, cleanliness, odour, water ingress.
• Seal integrity, damage description and probable causes: seals intact or broken, nature, extent, percentage of cargo affected, link to handling or transit.
• Photographic references, salvage recommendations and liability observations: carrier, forwarder, shipper roles.
• Final remarks and an unbiased conclusion.

2. Reefer container

Prompt: ‘You are a certified marine cargo surveyor for perishable cargo. Draft a detailed survey report for a reefer container shipment.’ Include:

• Surveyor’s details; inspection date, time and location.
• Cargo description: commodity, weight, packaging.
• Temperature settings versus recorded temperatures: set point against logger data.
• Voyage history: ports, duration, route.
• Pre-trip inspection (PTI) results and discrepancies.
• Reefer unit condition and data logger analysis: physical inspection notes, continuous temperature records.
• Spoilage description and loss percentage: visual, odour, texture, estimated share damaged.
• Probable causes and photographic references: temperature abuse, equipment failure.
• Salvage or reconditioning recommendations, liability notes (carrier obligations) and final remarks.

3. ISO tank

Prompt: ‘Act as a specialist in chemical and liquid bulk cargo. Draft a complete survey report for an ISO tank shipment.’ Include:

• Surveyor’s details; inspection date, time and location.
• Vessel, voyage and tank number; loading and discharge port details.
• Commodity: chemical name, UN number, IMDG class, volume.
• External tank condition (frame, markings, placards), manlid and gasket condition, valve and seal condition.
• Internal inspection findings: contamination, residue.
• Laboratory results against the specification sheet.
• Probable causes and photographic references: contamination, leakage, cleaning failure.
• Disposal or salvage recommendations, liability assessment and final remarks.

4. ODC on flat-rack or open-top

Prompt: ‘Prepare a comprehensive survey report for an over-dimensional cargo on a flat-rack or open-top.’ Include:

• Surveyor’s details; inspection date, time and location.
• Cargo specifications: dimensions, weight, type.
• Securing method and lashing plan, with diagrams.
• Pre-loading condition, observed damage, and lashing or securing failures: the points of failure.
• Weather impact evidence, where applicable.
• Probable causes: stowage, handling, sea-fastening.
• Repair or salvage feasibility with cost and time, liability attribution (regulatory or contractual), photographic references and corrective measures.

5. Flexi bag

Prompt: ‘As a marine cargo surveyor, draft a damage survey report for a flexi bag shipment.’ Include:

• Surveyor’s details; inspection date, time and location; container and seal numbers.
• Cargo type and volume (product, litres or tons), viscosity and loading method.
• External inspection: bulging, leakage, odours. Internal inspection: bag tears, valve damage, contamination.
• Residual cargo measurement and loss percentage, calculated from measurements.
• Probable causes: overfilling, securing failure, puncture.
• Salvage or recovery options (reuse, repack, reprocess), roles of loading party, carrier and consignee, photographic references and final remarks.