An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer

Agricultural

Marketing

Service 

Federal Grain Inspection 

Service

Field Management 

Division 

1400 Independence Ave. 

SW, Stop 3630

Washington, D.C. 20250

Voice (202) 720-0228

Fax (202) 690-3951

Hotline 1-800-998-3447

Reference #285 April 1, 2021

TO: FGIS POLICY BULLETIN BOARD

FROM: Anthony Goodeman, Director

 Field Management Division 

SUBJECT: Inspection Completed Time on Stowage Exams of Railcars

ORIGINATING OFFICE: Policies, Procedures, and Market Analysis Branch

1. PURPOSE

This memorandum provides guidance on documenting the recording 

of time of a prior-to-loading stowage examination of railcar(s) for grain 

movements.

2. BACKGROUND

Grain Inspection Handbook IV, Chapter 2 Work Records, Section 2.8 

Stowage Examination Work Records states:

	Official personnel shall maintain records for stowage 	 	

examinations.

Stowage examination information may be recorded 

separately on any suitable form, sample ticket, or similar 

work record. Regardless of the type of form used, stowage 

examination records shall include:

a. The type of examination; e.g., original, reinspection, or

appeal.

b. 	 The carrier identification.

c. The date and military time the examination was 

completed.

While this requirement is reasonable and unobtrusive for export 

stowage exams, it may be burdensome to record the time of certain 

stowage exams for movements of grain, particularly railcars in unit 

trains.
Page 2

Most official personnel perform prior-to-loading stowage exams using

one of two methods, either by checking strings of railcars in batches 

before loading or via camera systems positioned just prior to loading. 

Both methods result in the stowage exam being performed on the same 

day of loading, disregarding extraordinary circumstances. Over time, 

many official service providers have requested and been granted local

exceptions to the requirement to record the time of examination based 

on the speed and timeliness of operations and other documentation 

procedures. Safety is the commonly cited reason for requesting an 

exception.

3. POLICY

	 Effective immediately, when recording on a Work Record the results

of stowage examinations for railcars inspected as batches, it is 

permissible to record the inspection completed time at which the last 

railcar in the batch was inspected as the inspection completed time for 

all of the railcars in the particular batch. The inspection completed 

time will be recorded in military time or 12-hour (a.m./p.m.) format.

A “batch” is defined as more than one railcar examined consecutively, in

the same trip into the railyard, or past the camera.

The official service provider must maintain documentation (e.g.,

service requests, activity logs, other work records, etc.) to verify that 

the loading commenced within 24-hours after completion of the 

examination.

Note that the requirement to record the time still applies if an applicant 

requests a standalone stowage exam service for certification,

regardless of the type of shipment.

 4. FILING INSTRUCTIONS

File a copy of this memo with the Grain Inspection Handbook IV until 

the handbook is revised to include this change. Field office managers

must ensure that a copy of this memorandum is available to official

agencies operating within their circuit.

 5. QUESTIONS

 Direct any questions regarding this procedure to the local field office or

 to AMS - FGIS Policies Procedures and Market Analysis Branch.