Container Loading Home Textiles

Freight is quoted per container, not per unit — so the loading density of your cartons decides your landed cost more than the unit price does. A supplier quoting a lower unit price with a bulkier pack can cost you more per piece delivered.

Why the carton spec matters more than the box count

Two suppliers can pack the same 10,000 pillowcases into a different number of cartons and a different number of containers. The variable that moves is not the item count — it is the carton dimensions and how well they tessellate inside the container.

• A 40HQ holds roughly 67–76 cbm usable, depending on how the pallets or cartons nest. The nominal figure is 76 cbm; plan on 67–70 once you allow for the door end and any palletisation.
• Cartons that are 60 × 40 × 40 cm stack 8 high and 5 across in a 40HQ. Change one dimension by 5 cm and you can lose a whole row.
• Pressed flat-packs load far denser than bulked packs. If your item can be compressed, specify it — the saving is in the container, not in the price.

A worked example

Take a standard pillowcase pair in a printed polybag, packed 20 pairs per carton. At 55 × 38 × 42 cm a carton holds 40 pieces, and a 40HQ takes about 1,150 cartons — roughly 46,000 pieces.

Now change the pack to 12 pairs per carton at the same carton size. Carton count goes up by two thirds for the same pieces; you cross into a second container long before you run out of product. The unit price can be identical and the landed cost per piece is not.

What to ask before you place the order

• The carton dimensions and the pieces per carton — in writing, before the PI is signed.
• How many cartons fit a 40HQ and a 20GP for that specification.
• Whether the cartons are palletised. Palletising can cut usable volume by 8–12% and is often required by retail warehouses.
• Gross weight per carton, so you can check against destination handling limits.

Where we sit on this

We quote carton dimensions and pieces per carton with every quotation, and tell you the container count for your quantity. It is one of the few things a buyer can check before committing money, so it should not be a mystery until the goods are at the port.

Send us the item and the quantity and we will confirm both the pack and the loading.