Can export packing be one carton layer only?

Answer: For inland runs, yes; at 85% humidity over 30 days at sea the shell blooms white, and wiping it costs more than the 0.3 bag.

How many cases fit in a 40HQ?

Answer: Size decides. A 520×380×200 mm case loads 945 loose or 640 palletised, while a 380×290×160 mm case reaches 2,150 in the same box.

1200×1000 mm or 1200×800 mm pallets?

Answer: Follow the market: Europe 1200×800 mm, North America 1200×1000 mm; the smaller deck drops a pallet from 16 cases to 8 and costs 320 cases.

Does doubling desiccant help?

Answer: No. A 40HQ takes about 30 kg at 500 g/m³; 60 kg finds no extra air in 67.6 CBM.

How do pallet numbers line up with piece marks?

Answer: Cartons run 1/640 to 640/640, pallets T1 to T40, both listed on the packing list.

Export Packing and Container Loading for Cases

Quick answer: Export packing decides the load for a 40HQ twice over, first by the case envelope and then by pallet rules: a 520×380×200 mm case ships 945 loose and 640 on 1200×1000 mm pallets, a 32% loss in gaps and clearance.

Three layers around one case
Pallet size sets the stack height
Doing the 40HQ maths twice
Condensation, desiccant and crates
Packing list and shipping marks
FAQ

1. Three layers around one case

Export packing starts with a 0.05 mm PE bag, heat sealed with 40 mm spare at the mouth; at 85% humidity inside a 40HQ it blocks condensation on the shell, not rain. The second layer is a 5 mm honeycomb corner at each corner, proven by a 1.2 m drop on six faces, three edges and one corner, with crush under 3 mm. The third is a five-ply K=A carton at 1800 kPa burst, voids filled with 20 mm dividers.

Layer	Material	Specification	Acceptance
Inner	PE bag	0.05 mm, sealed	No damp, 40°C, 72 h
Corner	Honeycomb	5 mm, one each	Edge intact, 1.2 m drop
Carton	Five-ply K=A	1800 kPa burst	No bulge, 4 high, 30 days
Closure	Water tape	60 mm, H pattern	No residue on opening

Packed cost per case runs 0.3 for the bag, 0.8 for corners, 6.5 for the carton and 0.6 for tape, 8.2 in total or about 4% of FOB, money hidden in the unit price until boxes arrive soft.

2. Pallet size sets the stack height

Export packing puts the pallet first, since it sets how high cartons go. The 1200×1000 mm four-way pallet stands 150 mm tall and weighs 18 kg; a 560×420×250 mm carton sits 2 by 2, 4 to a layer, 4 layers to 16 cases, a load 1.15 m high and 168 kg gross.

Export packing sample: closed black case on white, two red side latches, recessed handle, four moulded feet

Four layers, not six, is a pallet-height call: two loads stack to 2.3 m under the 2.39 m height, leaving 90 mm for the forks.

Film goes on in 3 wraps at 25 μm, with 2 PP bands 15 mm wide at 200 mm and 700 mm. Bands bear on 1.2 m edge boards: a bite past 5 mm crushes the flutes and takes 30% off compression strength.

3. Doing the 40HQ maths twice

A 40HQ measures 12.03×2.35×2.39 m internally, 67.6 CBM, rated 26 t, with a 2.34×2.28 m door, so export packing load is calculated by volume, never by weight.

Volume: 67.6 CBM times a 0.85 stowage factor gives 57.5 CBM usable, and a 0.0588 CBM carton divides into 977 cases loose on the floor. Weight: 26,000 kg over 9.4 kg gross gives 2,766 cases. Cube runs out while weight still holds 4 times the room.

Case cavity	Carton	Gross	20GP loose	40HQ loose	40HQ palletised
380×290×160 mm	420×330×200 mm	5.6 kg	1,078	2,150	1,200
520×380×200 mm	560×420×250 mm	9.4 kg	450	945	640
700×500×300 mm	740×540×350 mm	17.8 kg	168	384	not viable

Recalculate per size, not by scaling one model. The 700 mm case breaks on a pallet, since a 740 mm carton will not fit twice along the 1200 mm deck. Export packing on pallets costs the 520 mm model 305 cases, and only a buyer who wants forklift-to-racking justifies it.

4. Condensation, desiccant and crates

Humidity inside a 40HQ runs 65% to 85%, and a 15°C swing puts water on the ceiling; five-ply board climbs from 8% to 14% moisture and loses half its compression strength, which is why cartons arrive soft.

Export packing front view of the case standing upright, handle on top, two red latches, four ribbed feet

Desiccant goes in at 500 g/m³, so a 40HQ takes 30 kg of calcium chloride rated at 200% absorption for 30 days, hung at the doors, midships and low at the door end.

Plywood crates are exempt under ISPM 15; solid pallets need the IPPC stamp and 56°C heat treatment for 30 minutes, or a European port may turn the load back. Above 25 kg gross, export packing moves to a 12 mm crate with 30 mm EPE lining, which carries 6 tiers at about 3 times the carton price.

5. Packing list and shipping marks

An export packing list carries six columns: description, model, quantity, net weight, gross weight, volume. Net is written at 8.2 kg and gross at 9.4 kg, volume to four decimals at 0.0588 CBM; rounding to three drifts half a cubic metre per 40HQ.

The main mark holds consignee code, port of discharge, piece number such as 1/40, gross weight and dimensions; the side mark holds description, CBM and origin, 50 mm high in oil-based ink, clear of the H-tape on two faces.

Three records must agree: carton mark, packing list, bill of lading. One piece out of step buys a customs inspection and 2 extra days.

Conclusion

Export packing for cases rests on three calls. Keep all three layers, since 8.2 saved per unit is repaid as rework at destination. Size the load by cube, because a 40HQ carries 4 times the weight it can hold in volume. And decide pallets by whether the buyer owns a forklift, since loose loading beats palletised by 32% at sea. Nobody then quotes 900 units into a box that holds 640.

This article discusses only the container (case body) side of specifications and design intent, and does not cover any handling, loading or use of the contents.