Loading and Shipping: Container Day
Container day looks like three verbs: lift, place, strap. The hours actually go into counting and into evidence. One case takes 2.4 to 5.0 seconds to tick off, and two people count separately, so a single missing carton sends the whole pallet back through the line. Get the load plan wrong and the weight rides on the steer axle; a few hundred kilometres later the corners have folded. What the dock records is not that loading finished, but which step happened and what proves it. Three artefacts have to agree by the end of the shift: the count sheet, the photo set, the seal number.
01Counting out loud: 2.4 to 5.0 seconds a case, two people
There are three ways to count: by pallet, by carton, by voice. Full pallets go by pallet, 20 to 40 cartons at 60 to 120 seconds each, checking that labels line up and tape is intact. Mixed pallets and remainders get counted carton by carton at 2.4 to 5.0 seconds apiece, so 200 pieces runs 480 to 1000 seconds. Voice counting means one person reads the carton number and the other repeats it, each keeping a separate sheet.
The second count is not a formality. Two people count apart and write apart, and one carton of difference sends the pallet back through. Nobody is allowed to talk the number into agreement. Discrepancy rates usually sit between 0.2% and 0.5%, concentrated in the last pallet and wherever the case type changes. When one appears, photos must cover all four pallet corners and the label, so the pallet's path can be traced.
02Eight fields on the label, or the trail ends there
Every carton label carries eight fields: order number, model, colour, quantity, carton number, gross weight, volume, destination. Carton numbers run in three blocks, order, model and sequence, starting at 001 with no gaps. A single skipped number throws off everything after it. Receiving scans those numbers, and a gap at the scan point means opening the container, which starts at 1.5 h of unplanned work.
Placement matters as much as content. Put the label on the upper right of a narrow face, 50 mm to 80 mm below the top edge, so someone standing at the door reads the first row without stepping in. Labels on the wide face, set crooked, or half hidden under tape force the loader to spin the case, costing 3 to 5 seconds; a 400-case container loses 1200 seconds or more that way.
03Heavy low, light high, axle load over the wheels
Load heavy first and low, with the centre of gravity 1 m to 1.5 m behind the steer axle. An overloaded steer axle is worse than an overloaded drive axle, because steering goes vague; an overloaded rear axle heats tyres, and 300 km to 500 km is enough to blow one. After loading, check tyre squat: more than 10 mm of difference across an axle means moving a row forward or back.
Leave 20 mm to 30 mm between cases. It looks like wasted volume and it is not: it is space for air bags and straps. Cases loaded hard against each other pass vibration straight into the corners, and over a few hundred kilometres the guards wear through and the cartons split. With a gap and a bag, the bag takes the impact and the case sees roughly half the load.
04Dunnage, air bags, straps: each does one job
Timber levels the floor and closes the gap between case and wall to under 50 mm. Air bags fill the big voids, 40 L to 120 L each, inflated until a fingertip leaves a slight rebound; hard as stone means overinflated, and the bag will bow the side wall. Straps restrain lengthwise at 200 N to 600 N of preload with a ratchet tensioner, tight enough that a hand push does not move the stack.
More straps is not better. A strap over the top touches maybe 30 mm of corner guard, so at 600 N the pressure crushes the carton instead of holding it. Slide a 3 mm to 5 mm pad under each strap, let one strap cover 1.2 m to 1.5 m of load length, then think about a second. Timber gets nailed to the container floor with the nails kept clear of the cross members.
05Seal number and six to twelve photos, or no evidence
Photograph the seal after the doors close, number legible, door number in the same frame. Six to twelve shots is the standard set: empty box, half loaded, full, doors closed, seal close-up, weigh ticket. One missing frame is one missing link when a claim arrives. Extra shots cost seconds; a shot you forgot cannot be staged later, no matter who asks.
Wet days add two rules. Keep the dew point inside the container within 3 ℃ of case surface temperature, or moisture condenses on the walls and the cartons go soft and the corner guards grow mould over a crossing. Open the doors 2 h before loading and let cases sit on the dock until their surface nears ambient. Short on time, add 2 kg to 3 kg of desiccant and seal within 30 seconds.
| Case count time | 2.4–5.0 s |
|---|---|
| Counters | 2, separate sheets |
| Evidence photos | 6–12 |
| Strap preload | 200–600 N |
| Air bag volume | 40–120 L |
| Dew point gap | ≤3 ℃ |
| Label fields | 8 |
| Loading segments | 3–4 × 0.7–1.2 h |
FAQ
Why count the last pallet carton by carton?
Mixed case types and short quantities hide a missing unit from a pallet count. Counting by carton runs 2.4 to 5.0 seconds each, under 150 seconds for thirty pieces, against an unplanned container opening at the far end.
How firm should an air bag feel?
A fingertip should leave a slight rebound and the surface should spring back. If it feels like stone it is overinflated, the wall bows, and the corner guard becomes the point of contact. Push the stack afterwards; any movement means add another bag or a timber block.
Can you load a container in the rain?
Yes, with the dew point controlled. Hold the gap between container air and case surface within 3 ℃, vent the box for 2 h first, and let cases sit on the dock until they reach ambient. If time is short, use desiccant and seal within 30 seconds.
Are seal photos enough on their own?
No. A seal proves the doors closed, not what went inside or how. Empty, half loaded, full, doors closed, seal close-up and weigh ticket are the minimum six. Whatever frame is missing is exactly where the trace stops.