Guides to load it right.
These guides follow a shipment from start to finish: how to send a container step by step and the pre-booking checklist, the rules that decide whether a load can ship (VGM, the CTU Code, air chargeable weight and truck weight limits in the EU and in Spain), what to do when something goes wrong and how to decide better: which container you need, how validating differs from calculating and how to choose load planning software. All with their official sources.
Sending a container
Complete guideHow to send a container, step by stepThe seven steps, from packing list to arrival: pre-booking load validation, booking, documents, loading, VGM and terminal.ChecklistReady to Send? The pre-booking checklistWhat to check before you book a container: equipment, weight, VGM, stowage and documents.
Rules, explained
- SeaVGM: verified gross massWhat SOLAS requires, methods 1 and 2, who declares it and what happens if it is missing.
- Sea and landCTU Code: stowage and securingHow to distribute, centre and secure the load, and the idea behind lashing on the road.
- AirAir freight chargeable weightActual versus volumetric weight: which one an air shipment is billed on.
- RoadEU truck weight and dimension limitsWhat Directive 96/53/EC sets for international road transport in the EU.
- Road · SpainTruck axle weights and limits in SpainMaximum weights, axle loads and dimensions in Spain, with the 2025 changes.
When something goes wrong
- Sea · SpainContainer rejected over VGM in SpainWhat to do if the VGM is missing, late, does not match the weighing or exceeds the CSC plate.
- Road · SpainTruck overweight fines in SpainHow the excess is classified, how much the fine is, who is liable and what to do if the truck is held.
Better decisions
- DecideWhich container do I need?The usual equipment for your pallets, your volume and your weight, with a link to each sheet.
- DecideCalculating a load is not validating itWhat a load calculator does, what validation adds and when you need each one.
- DecideHow to choose load planning softwareEight questions to ask any provider and the typical mistakes when choosing.
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