International Shipping Process

Overseas shipping containers come in various sizes and construction to accommodate most packing requirements. This container is made out of very heavy duty cardboard and is called a tri-wall half lift van which is 80 cubic feet. Other tri-wall containers range in size from 6.92 cubic feet to 37.7 cubic feet. Notice this tri-wall is strapped to plastic pallets for easy handling. The plastic pallets are utilized so there is problem meeting all of the overseas regulations concerning wood products.

Small overseas shipments that have more cubic feet then the tri-wall containers are usually padded and tightly loaded into plywood liftvans to minimize handling and shifting during transport. The liftvans are designed to fit inside the large steel steamship containers which are then placed on board the container ships. Larger shipments also are loaded into liftvans if they need to be trucked to another port in the country before shipping or needs storage. They are also used when the destination is a port that cannot handle the large steel 20 or 40 foot containers. This minimizes handling and reduces the chance of loss or damage.

If the shipment is leaving at a port within the area and is large enough to fill the majority of a steamship container, it is padded and loaded directly into the large steel shipping container. They come in 20, 40 and 45 foot long, depending upon the steamship lines and destination, plus some are higher so they have more cubic feet of space for cargo. The container is then trucked to the port and lifted off the trailer to be stacked on board the ship. This shipment was loading out of a warehouse. The large containers can be trucked out and loaded at a residence if adequate parking and access is available.