pic: Surprise! Your crate was crushed by _____ .

[KenWittlief]

Ive seen them on shipping docks, I dont have any supplier names or costs.

The simple ones are stick-on things, almost like labels, that contain fine colored sand in a narrow clear enclosure. The top of the enclosure is sticky like tape.

so if your container gets tipped the sand ends up stuck in the tape on the top side, and you have a clear indication your shipment was up-ended.

Other similar devices are available that trigger at certain shock and vibration levels. The intent is you can put one on every container you ship (because they are cheap) and it will tell you if the crate has been mishandled. To keep the shipping company from replaceing the ones that were triggered you can put them inside your container.

Obviously if your crate is smashed then you dont need a little device to tell you its been mishandled.

There are more sophisticated electronic devices you can ship in a container that record the shock and vibration of the entire trip, so you can analyse a typical shipment and know what you need to design your shipping containers to withstand.