Overloading a Shipping Container

Some companies are so busy looking to make a buck that they are willing to do just about anything to make sure they are saving every penny in transportation. They may want to only focus on the product they are selling or they may not have enough capital for the business they are running. No matter the reason, they tend to take chances that could be dangerous to the supply chain. Overloading a shipping container is one of these choices. Many people do not realize how overloading can affect so many parts of the supply chain and even though they may not be caught initially, they could cause a problem that could cost money and even lives.

When loading a 20’std container, you should only load up to about 21,727 kgs, when loading a 40’std only a little more about 26,780 kgs. Once you go higher, there may be problems in moving it because of over the road weight limitations or even the strength of the container itself. Regardless of how you plan to import or export your cargo, following these criteria can be detrimental. If you declare your cargo incorrectly, it could then be loaded incorrectly on to the ship and may cause damage to other containers. If you are looking to ship cargo internationally it is important to follow the container loading guidelines to avoid damages to cargo as well as potential problems while loaded on the ship.