Guide · Sea
How to send a container, step by step.
Sending a container takes seven steps: prepare the goods and the packing list, validate the load before booking, book with the shipping line or a freight forwarder, prepare the documents, load and secure the container, declare the VGM and deliver it to the terminal, and follow the transit to arrival.
1. Prepare the goods and the packing list
Pack the goods for the journey and record every package: what it contains, how many there are, its dimensions and its gross weight, packaging included. That packing list is the basis for everything else: the equipment, the VGM and the loading. If you don't have one, use the free packing list template.
2. Validate the load before booking
Before you book, check that your load fits the equipment, that the weight is within limits (container payload and estimated VGM) and that it can be properly stowed.
Pre-booking load validation means checking, before you book the container, that the load fits the chosen equipment, that its weight stays within the container limits (payload and VGM) and that it can be properly stowed and secured. It is the moment when changing the equipment or splitting the load costs nothing.
Validate your load before you request the booking; what is checked in a container is explained in container load validation. If you are unsure about the equipment, start with which container do I need.
3. Choose a shipping line or forwarder and book
Who books the main carriage is set by the Incoterm of the sale. With that settled, book (the booking) the equipment and the vessel with the shipping line, directly or through a freight forwarder. The booking confirmation gives the cut-off dates: how long you have to deliver the container to the terminal and to send the VGM.
4. Prepare the documents
- Commercial invoice: the goods, their value and the terms of sale.
- Packing list: the packages, their dimensions and their weights.
- Export declaration: filed by the exporter or their customs broker.
- Bill of lading (B/L): issued by the shipping line with the details provided by the shipper.
- VGM: the verified gross mass of the packed container, signed by the shipper.
5. Load and lash the container
Spread the weight along and across the floor, with the centre of gravity as close to the centre as possible, block the gaps and secure the load so it cannot move. That is what the CTU Code asks for. Before closing the doors, check that you are within the payload on the CSC plate, then seal the container.
6. Declare the VGM and deliver to the terminal
The shipper obtains the VGM by method 1 (weighing the packed container) or method 2 (adding up the packages, cargo items and tare) and sends it before the shipping line’s deadline. No VGM, no loading: the container is not shipped. How to obtain it is in the VGM guide, and you can estimate it with the VGM calculator.
The truck that takes the container to the terminal has its own limits too: the maximum authorised weight of the combination and the axle loads. Within the EU, see EU truck weight and dimension limits; in Spain, for example, they are set out in truck axle weights and limits in Spain.
7. Follow the transit and arrival
Once the container is on board, the shipping line or the forwarder reports on the transit. At destination, the consignee or their customs broker clears the import, collects the container and returns it empty within the free time set by the shipping line; after that, the shipping line may charge demurrage.
Summary
| Step | What to do | Who does it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Goods and packing list | Pack the goods and list every package with its dimensions and gross weight. | Shipper |
| 2. Pre-booking load validation | Check that the load fits, that the weight is within limits and that it can be properly stowed. | Shipper or their freight forwarder |
| 3. Booking | Book the equipment and the vessel, and note the cut-off dates. | Shipper or freight forwarder, depending on the Incoterm |
| 4. Documents | Commercial invoice, packing list, export declaration, B/L and VGM. | Exporter, customs broker and shipping line |
| 5. Loading and lashing | Spread the weight, block and secure the load, and seal the container. | Whoever packs the container |
| 6. VGM and terminal | Declare the VGM on time and deliver the container to the terminal. | Shipper (VGM) and haulier |
| 7. Transit and arrival | Track the shipment, clear customs at destination and return the empty container. | Shipping line, freight forwarder and consignee |
If something goes wrong, see when something goes wrong.
Sources
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