Mixed Steel Container Orders: Keep Each Line Traceable
When coils, sheets and bundles from several PO lines share one container, any package can lose its order identity between the door and the store. Map every package to its line, let the receiving split shape the load order and check documents line by line.
Confirm in Writing That These Lines Can Share One Container
A mixed container is a decision about specific lines, not a general option. List each PO line with form, grade, size, quantity and package type, then ask who will pack and load them together and whether that has been checked for this order. Lines may come from different production sources and be ready on different days, so agree in advance what happens to the container if one line is late. Being all steel does not make the lines compatible in one box: a finished stainless or coated surface may need separation from bare carbon steel, sharp edges or damp timber. Ask how contact between lines will be prevented, and keep the feasibility answer in writing with the order.
- Line listWrite each line's form, grade, size, quantity and package type.
- ReadinessAgree what happens to the container if one line is not ready.
- Contact between linesAsk how finished or coated surfaces will be kept apart from other lines.
Give Every Package a Line, a Zone and a Destination
One container number and one seal cover every line, so the container reference cannot identify a single package. Build a map before stuffing: each package mark tied to its PO line, its material identity such as heat, lot or coil number, its piece count, net and gross mass, the zone of the container where it will sit and where it goes after unloading. Ask the packer to fill in the zone column from the agreed load plan and to return the completed map with the packing list. If a package later turns up damaged or missing, the map shows which line, which certificate and which onward destination are affected.
| Package mark | PO line | Heat, lot or coil ID | Count and mass | Container zone | Goes to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enter visible mark | Enter line | Enter material ID | Enter pieces, net and gross | Doors, middle or front wall | Enter store or site |
Plan the Load Order Backwards From the Receiving Split
Write down how the container will be emptied: which line is needed first, which goes to a different store or site, and which can wait. The line wanted first should sit where it can come out without moving another line. That wish can conflict with the weight and balance limits of the load plan, so give the receiving split to the packer early and let them reconcile the two; floor, balance and securing questions belong to the load plan, not to this sequence. Do not let heavy coils or plate be stowed on or against a cosmetic sheet line unless an engineered plan addresses it. Record any compromise, such as a line that must be handled twice, so the receiving team can plan labour and space.
Receiving sequence
List the lines in the order the destination needs them and where each goes.
Packer review
Ask the packer to fit that sequence within the weight and securing plan.
Agreed stow
Record the final zones on the package map and share them with receiving.
Have a Specification Ready?
Send what you already know, such as grade, finish, size or quantity. Inquiries are answered within 2 hours.
Keep Documents Resolvable Line by Line
Each shipment from ZIVO comes with a mill test certificate (MTC) and a packing list. In a mixed container, ask how those documents will be organised so each line can be found without reading the whole file: packing-list entries grouped by PO line with their package marks, and a note of which certificate covers which heat or lot on which line. Check that the invoice, the packing list and the certificates use the same line references. A shipment can carry several certificates, and a certificate for one line is not evidence for another.
| Document | Organise by | Check for each line |
|---|---|---|
| Packing list | PO line, then package mark | Count, net and gross mass, marks |
| Mill test certificate | Heat or lot within each line | Covers the material shipped on that line |
| Commercial invoice | PO line | Description and quantity match the line |
Split the Load and Record Differences Per Line
At receipt, use the package map as the working list. Compare the seal and container reference, unload in the agreed order and tick off each package against its line before it leaves the door area. Keep package tags in place until the mark has been matched to the packing list and certificate and the onward destination recorded. Count and weigh per line, not per container: a short line is not offset by a surplus on another line of a different grade or size. Record a missing, extra or misplaced package as an exception against the line concerned and keep it apart. Coil-specific checks then follow the receiving inspection guide.
- Tick offMatch each unloaded package to its line on the map before it is moved away.
- Keep tagsLeave marks and tags on until the package is matched to its documents.
- Line exceptionsLog shortages, surpluses and wrong destinations against the line affected.
Send a Line Schedule and Ask for Written Feasibility
Send a schedule with one row per PO line: form, grade, size, quantity, package type and preferred package mass, followed by the receiving split, the destination unloading equipment and any access limits. Add the label and certificate fields you need on the package map. ZIVO confirms the specification with you before the order and keeps the confirmed version on file; for a mixed container, check that every line appears in that specification before packing is planned. Ask for written confirmation that the mix is feasible for this order, who packs and loads it, and which carrier and route rules were checked. A mixed container is a case-by-case arrangement, not a standard package.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Each package needs its PO line, mark, material identity and count, so the receiving team can tell which line a damaged or missing package belongs to.
Only after the package has been matched to its packing-list line and certificate and its onward destination recorded. Removing tags earlier can leave a package with no traceable line.
Record each as a separate exception for its own line. A different grade or size does not fill another line's quantity unless the order owner approves a written change.
Tell Us What You Need
Send the product form, grade, finish, thickness, width, length and quantity. Inquiries are answered within 2 hours.
Send a mixed-container line schedule
List each PO line with form, grade, size, quantity and package type, then add the receiving split and any destination unloading limits. Feasibility and packing responsibility need written confirmation for the specific order.
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