Funny stories from the world of freight...

Millennium Cargo Services Ltd

In the 28 years that I’ve worked in the shipping industry I’ve come across many weird and wonderful things.

But none quite as funny as this… We recently sent a container to the USA.

It was pulled for a customs examination which is nothing unusual, as spot checks often occur.

Whilst completing the check, one of the customs officers noticed something worrisome.

Something troublesome enough that he quarantined the shipment and prevented delivery of the container for 4 whole weeks.

What could it be? I hear you ask.

It must be something serious. Unexplained chemical perhaps? A huge nest of oversized tarantulas?

Nope. It was a snail. Just a tiny, normal, harmless snail.

Panic ensued. I’ve never seen quite such an over the top response in my life.

Instead of just removing the snail and allowing the shipment to continue, the container was quarantined by a team complete with hazmat suits, fumigated and eventually cleared for collection once the “killer snail” had been “neutralised”.

Who’d have thought such a tiny thing could cause such trouble!