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TODO

Handling Unit / Logistics Container

vr.wm-obj-021 · wm-obj-021-handling-unit-logistics-container

Nested logistics identity and custody lifecycle

World Models Physical world and living systems PHY.OBJ.PKG
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

3 bundles · 3 layers · 5 findings · 11 questions

Unit identity and nesting What the unit is and what it contains.

Identity and type

The licence plate identifier and packaging type of the unit.

Unit identifier

The identifier that makes the unit trackable.

  1. Which identifier marks this handling unit, and who issued it?
  2. Which packaging type and reusable asset does the unit use?

Nesting and content

Parent and child units and the goods declared inside.

  1. Which handling units does this unit contain, and which unit contains it?
  2. Which goods, batches or serial numbers are declared inside it?
Movement and custody Where the unit is and who holds it.

Custody chain

Transfers of physical possession between parties.

Current custody

Who holds the unit now and since when.

  1. Which party has physical custody of the unit now, and since when?
  2. Which scans or handover events record the last transfer?

Condition at handover

Damage, seals and temperature observed at transfer.

  1. Was the unit intact and sealed at the last handover, and was any damage noted?
  2. Which conditions, such as temperature, were recorded during transport?
Lifecycle How the unit comes into being and ends.

Build and dissolution

Packing, repacking and unpacking of the unit.

Unit lifecycle

When the unit was built, changed or dissolved.

  1. When and where was the unit packed, and by whom?
  2. Was it repacked or split, and which identifiers replaced it?
  3. Has the unit been dissolved, and has its identifier been retired or reused?

Classifiers Filled

Family
World Models
Category
Physical world and living systems
Entry kind
standalone-mm
Navigation path
NAV.PHY.OBJ.PKG
Domain
PHY.OBJ.PKG
Industry
Cross-industry
Tags
handlingunitlogisticscontainerphy.obj.pkg

What it is Filled

A handling unit is a physical unit put together for transport and handling, such as a pallet, case, roll cage or shipping container, identified so that it can be moved and tracked as one object. It nests: a container holds pallets, a pallet holds cases, and each level has its own identity and custody history; the goods inside and the transport order are separate records.

Why it exists Filled

Nested logistics identity and custody lifecycle

Distinguishing features Filled

  • The handling unit is the thing that is moved and scanned; the goods inside are separate records it declares.
  • Units nest, and each level carries its own identifier and custody history.
  • A unit is built and dissolved by packing operations, so its life is shorter than that of the goods it carries.
  • Distinct from the reusable asset itself, such as a pallet or container, which outlives many handling units.

What robots and AI may and may not do Filled

Must not

  • Reuse an identifier while the earlier unit can still appear in the supply chain.
  • Change the declared contents of a sealed unit without recording an inspection or repack.
  • Record a handover that the receiving party has not confirmed.
  • Omit recorded damage, broken seals or temperature excursions from the unit's history.
  • Declare dangerous goods wrongly or leave their declaration off the unit record.

Only with a human decision

  • Breaking a seal or opening a unit for inspection.
  • Accepting a unit with damage or a temperature excursion.
  • Releasing a unit whose contents do not match the declaration.

May

  • Create and record handling units with their identifier, type, contents and nesting.
  • Record scans, handovers and condition observations against a unit.
  • Report the current location, custody and declared contents of a unit.
  • Flag mismatches between declared contents and what was scanned.

Moral aspects Filled

  • Wrong declarations put handlers at risk, especially where dangerous goods are involved.
  • Tracking data about units also reveals the movements and performance of the people handling them.
  • Unrecorded damage shifts loss onto the party least able to prove what happened.

Who is affected

  • Warehouse and transport workers
  • Shippers, carriers and consignees
  • Recipients of temperature sensitive goods
  • Customs and inspection authorities

Owners Filled

Steward

The logistics or warehouse operations lead of the party that currently holds the unit.

Master systems

  • Warehouse management system
  • Transport management system
  • Container and equipment tracking system

Links to other meta-models Filled

parent

  • WM-OBJ-009

contains

  • WM-OBJ-001

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled

Identity and identifiers required Filled

  • Pallets and cases are usually identified by a Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC) on a GS1 logistics label.
  • Intermodal containers are identified by a BIC-registered container number under ISO 6346.
  • Identifiers must stay unique over time, so retired numbers are not reused while units may still circulate.

Direct properties required Filled

  • Gross and net mass in kilograms, and tare mass of the packaging.
  • Outer dimensions in millimetres, including height with the load.
  • Volume in cubic metres and, for containers, declared payload capacity in kilogrammes.
  • Temperature in degrees Celsius for units under controlled conditions, with the measurement point.
  • Count of contained units or items, with the unit of measure stated.

Recognition required Filled

  • Recognised by the printed or marked identifier, barcode, RFID tag and packaging type.
  • Container numbers and check digits are marked on the container itself.
  • Easily confused with a similar unit from the same shipment when the label is damaged or missing.

Capabilities and actions required Filled

  • Units can be nested, split and merged with new identifiers recorded.
  • Each movement can be scanned and attributed to a party and place.
  • Contents can be traced from a unit to batches and serial numbers.

Hazards and failure modes required Filled

  • Unstable or overweight units injuring handlers or damaging equipment.
  • Wrong or missing dangerous goods declaration.
  • Broken cold chain hidden by missing temperature records.
  • Identifier collisions that break traceability across partners.

Standards and interfaces required Filled

  • GS1 General Specifications for SSCC and the GS1 logistic label, and GS1 EPCIS for event exchange.
  • ISO 6346 for freight container coding, marking and identification.
  • UN/CEFACT and UN/EDIFACT messages for despatch advice and transport instructions.

Context of use required Filled

  • Used in warehousing, road, rail, sea and air transport, and in customs and retail receiving.
  • Dangerous goods transport rules and food traceability law apply to the declarations carried.

Sources Filled

  1. GS1 General Specifications, GS1
  2. ISO 6346 Freight containers - Coding, identification and marking, ISO
  3. UN/CEFACT Core Component Library and supply chain messages, UNECE

Open questions

  • Planned model: boundary questions, research and every section remain to be written.

Machine files

Card as JSON Specification AGENTS.md Card backlog vercy.card/1

Provenance

planned (registry candidate) · todo

Built from: models/runtime-index.json, ver-cy/world-models/card-supplements/wm-obj-021-handling-unit-logistics-container.json

Planned entry, hidden from the catalogue until researched.