Steel Container Loading Plan: Inputs Before Booking
Container payload says how much a box may carry, not where a heavy coil or plate stack may sit. Before booking, give the packer and carrier each unit's mass, footprint and handling points, then agree who checks balance, securing and the unload at destination.
List Every Unit With Its Mass and Footprint
Start the load plan from the physical units, not from the tonnage on the order. For each coil, plate or sheet stack, pipe bundle or bar bundle, record its mark and order line, packed mass, outside size, the area that will bear on the floor, any orientation limit and the points where it may be lifted or forked. A coil and a flat stack of similar mass press on the floor in very different ways. For coil orders, ZIVO checks thickness, width, surface, weight, packing and labels before shipment; that check is not a load calculation, a securing design or carrier acceptance. Mark estimated masses as estimates and update them when packed figures are known.
| Unit field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Identity | Package mark and order line |
| Mass | Packed mass, stated as estimated or weighed |
| Footprint | Outside size and the bearing area under the unit |
| Handling | Lifting or fork points, orientation limit, whether stacking is allowed |
Treat Payload and Floor Load as Separate Limits
A container's payload rating assumes the cargo weight is spread across the whole floor. The CTU Code, a non-mandatory code of practice published jointly by IMO, ILO and UNECE, says that a load which is not spread evenly should be considered against the limits for concentrated loads, and that strong timber or steel beams may be needed to transfer the weight to the corner posts. A heavy coil on a narrow cradle or a dense plate stack can sit inside the payload and still overload a small part of the floor. Ask the operator or carrier for the concentrated-load limit of the unit type actually booked, have the packer design the bearing arrangement against it, and inspect the floor and cross members before stuffing.
- PayloadConfirm the rated payload of the booked unit type and any commodity limit the carrier sets.
- Concentrated loadAsk the operator for the limit that applies where a coil or narrow stack bears on the floor.
- Bearing designHave the qualified packer size the beams, cradles or dunnage and record who approved them.
Place Units So the Combined Centre of Gravity Works
Total weight inside payload says nothing about balance. When heavy units sit towards the doors, the front wall or one side, the loaded container can be hard to lift level where terminal gear cannot compensate, can overload an axle on a road leg and is harder to secure. Split rules and percentages that circulate online are prompts, not a check of your load; do not copy one into the plan. Ask the packer to calculate the combined centre of gravity from the actual unit masses and planned positions and to confirm it against the carrier's and haulier's requirements.
Position on paper
Mark each unit's planned place along the length and across the width.
Calculate
Have the packer work out the combined centre of gravity from packed masses.
Confirm
Check the result with the carrier and any road or rail haulier before stuffing.
Have a Specification Ready?
Send what you already know, such as grade, finish, size or quantity. Inquiries are answered within 2 hours.
Assign Securing Design, Stuffing and Checks to Named Parties
A heavy coil or plate stack can still slide or tip under the forces of a sea passage or hard road braking; its own mass does not hold it in place. Blocking, bracing and lashing for the actual units need a design by a qualified packer or securing specialist, carried out by the team that stuffs the container and checked before the doors close. Carriers can set their own commodity rules: one carrier's published rules for steel coils, for example, ask for stuffing photographs, a signed letter of indemnity and a lashing report where required before the container is accepted. Find out what the booked carrier currently requires. Record who designs the securing, who stuffs, who inspects, who declares the verified gross mass and who keeps the seal and stuffing record. This guide provides no securing design and no carrier approval.
- DesignName the qualified party who designs blocking, bracing and lashing for these units.
- Carrier rulesObtain the booked carrier's current commodity rules and the evidence it expects.
- RecordAgree who inspects, declares the gross mass and keeps seal and stuffing records.
Plan the Destination Unload Before You Book
The last unit stuffed is usually the first one the receiving site has to reach. Tell the packer how the container will be emptied: on a chassis, at a dock or on the ground, with which forklift, attachment or crane, and how much clear space there is in front of the doors. A heavy coil placed deep inside may travel safely and still be out of reach of the equipment available at destination. The CTU Code also covers receiving and unpacking units, so plan how each unit stays stable while securing is removed. Ask the receiving site to check its equipment ratings, safe access and unpacking procedure against each planned position, and agree who removes lashing and dunnage. If only an overhead lift would be safe for a unit, discuss a different transport unit type before booking, not at the door.
Unpacking method
State chassis, dock or ground unpacking and the equipment that will be used.
Reach and rating
Have the site check each planned position against its equipment ratings and access.
Release of securing
Agree who removes lashing and dunnage and how units stay stable meanwhile.
Send the Load-Plan Brief With Your Enquiry
Put the unit list, the intended container type, the carrier and route, and the destination unpacking method into the enquiry. Name who will design and check the securing and who will declare the gross mass, so each question reaches a party able to answer it. Ask the packer to return a placement proposal showing each unit's position, the calculated centre of gravity, the bearing and securing method and the person who approved them, then send that proposal to the carrier and the receiving site before the booking is fixed. A neat sketch is not proof of securing strength or carrier acceptance. This guide gives no load diagram, distribution percentage, lashing design or weight rating; every shipment needs its own qualified packer and carrier review.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Payload assumes weight spread over the floor. A coil or narrow stack concentrates it, so ask the container operator for the concentrated-load limit and have the packer design the bearing arrangement.
No. A rule of thumb may flag an obviously unbalanced plan, but the combined centre of gravity depends on your units' masses and positions. Ask the packer to calculate it and confirm it with the carrier.
A drawing shows intended positions. Securing strength and carrier acceptance need a design by a qualified packer or specialist and the booked carrier's current requirements for that shipment.
Tell Us What You Need
Send the product form, grade, finish, thickness, width, length and quantity. Inquiries are answered within 2 hours.
Send load-plan inputs with your enquiry
Share each unit's mark, packed mass, footprint and handling points, the intended container type, carrier and route, and how the destination will unpack. Securing design and carrier acceptance stay with the qualified packer and carrier.
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