diff --git a/docker-volume-backup.sh b/docker-volume-backup.sh
index 3270ea9..5166a5d 100644
--- a/docker-volume-backup.sh
+++ b/docker-volume-backup.sh
@@ -3,45 +3,47 @@
 # If rsync stucks consider:
 # @see https://stackoverflow.com/questions/20773118/rsync-suddenly-hanging-indefinitely-during-transfers
 #
-backup_time="$(date '+%Y%m%d%H%M%S')";
-backups_folder="/Backups/";
-repository_name="$(cd "$(dirname "$(readlink -f "${0}")")" && basename `git rev-parse --show-toplevel`)";
-machine_id="$(sha256sum /etc/machine-id | head -c 64)";
-backup_repository_folder="$backups_folder$machine_id/$repository_name/";
-for volume_name in $(docker volume ls --format '{{.Name}}');
+echo "start volume backups..."
+backup_time="$(date '+%Y%m%d%H%M%S')" &&
+backups_folder="/Backups/" &&
+repository_name="$(cd "$(dirname "$(readlink -f "${0}")")" && basename `git rev-parse --show-toplevel`)" &&
+machine_id="$(sha256sum /etc/machine-id | head -c 64)" &&
+backup_repository_folder="$backups_folder$machine_id/$repository_name/" || exit 1
+for volume_name in $(docker volume ls --format '{{.Name}}')
 do
-  echo "start backup routine: $volume_name";
-  containers="$(docker ps --filter volume="$volume_name" --format '{{.Names}}')";
-  containers_array=($containers)
-  container=${containers_array[0]}
+  echo "start backup routine for volume: $volume_name" &&
+  containers="$(docker ps --filter volume="$volume_name" --format '{{.Names}}')" &&
+  containers_array=($containers) &&
+  container=${containers_array[0]} || exit 1
   if [ -z "$containers" ]
     then
-      echo "skipped due to no running containers using this volume."
+      echo "skipped due to no running containers using this volume." || exit 1
     else
-      echo "stop containers:" && docker stop $containers
+      echo "stop containers:" && docker stop $containers || exit 1
       for source_path in $(docker inspect --format "{{ range .Mounts }}{{ if eq .Type \"volume\"}}{{ if eq .Name \"$volume_name\"}}{{ println .Destination }}{{ end }}{{ end }}{{ end }}" "$container");
       do
-        destination_path="$backup_repository_folder""latest/$volume_name";
-        raw_destination_path="$destination_path/raw"
-        prepared_destination_path="$destination_path/prepared"
-        log_path="$backup_repository_folder""log.txt";
-        backup_dir_path="$backup_repository_folder""diffs/$backup_time/$volume_name";
-        raw_backup_dir_path="$backup_dir_path/raw";
-        prepared_backup_dir_path="$backup_dir_path/prepared";
+        destination_path="$backup_repository_folder""latest/$volume_name" &&
+        raw_destination_path="$destination_path/raw" &&
+        prepared_destination_path="$destination_path/prepared" &&
+        log_path="$backup_repository_folder""log.txt" &&
+        backup_dir_path="$backup_repository_folder""diffs/$backup_time/$volume_name" &&
+        raw_backup_dir_path="$backup_dir_path/raw" &&
+        prepared_backup_dir_path="$backup_dir_path/prepared" || exit 1
         if [ -d "$destination_path" ]
           then
-            echo "backup volume: $volume_name";
+            echo "backup volume: $volume_name" || exit 1
           else
-            echo "first backup volume: $volume_name"
-            mkdir -vp "$raw_destination_path";
-            mkdir -vp "$raw_backup_dir_path";
-            mkdir -vp "$prepared_destination_path";
-            mkdir -vp "$prepared_backup_dir_path";
+            echo "first backup volume: $volume_name" &&
+            mkdir -vp "$raw_destination_path" &&
+            mkdir -vp "$raw_backup_dir_path" &&
+            mkdir -vp "$prepared_destination_path" &&
+            mkdir -vp "$prepared_backup_dir_path" || exit 1
         fi
         docker run --rm --volumes-from "$container" -v "$backups_folder:$backups_folder" "kevinveenbirkenbach/alpine-rsync" sh -c "
-        rsync -abP --delete --delete-excluded --log-file=$log_path --backup-dir=$raw_backup_dir_path '$source_path/' $raw_destination_path";
-        echo "start containers:" && docker start $containers;
+        rsync -abP --delete --delete-excluded --log-file=$log_path --backup-dir=$raw_backup_dir_path '$source_path/' $raw_destination_path" &&
+        echo "start containers:" && docker start $containers || exit 1
       done
   fi
-  echo "end backup routine: $volume_name";
+  echo "end backup routine for volume: $volume_name" || exit 1
 done
+echo "finished backup routine." || exit 1