Packing for export? Balance the box.
We pack export containers at our customs-licensed depot in Germiston and weigh them for the VGM. Check where the weight sits in your box first.
- CustomsLicensed depot in Germiston
- 22 mSOLAS scale for VGM certificates
- AxleWeighing that finds uneven loads
Packed to balance, then weighed.
- 01
Send the packing list
What each piece is, its weight and size, and whether any of it is hazardous, for our depot in Germiston.
- 02
Packed to balance
Front wall to doors, heavy pieces towards the middle, nothing heavy on top of lighter cargo.
- 03
The middle of the weight
The centre of gravity within 5% of the middle, and no more than 60% of the weight in either half.
- 04
Sealed and weighed
On our SAMSA-authorised scale for the VGM, with axle weighing to find an uneven load.
Request a quote for your export
Your export
Step 1 of 6- Cargo
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- Box
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- How many
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- Cargo now
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- Ships
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- Load check
- Optional
Packed to balance, then weighed
What we do with your export at our depot, and where the weight should sit in the box, from the CTU Code (IMO, ILO and UNECE, 2014), SAMSA and the shipping lines’ figures.
Our side
- Packed in GermistonOur customs-licensed depot
- 10 forkliftsDrum clamps, ramps, extensions
- 22 m scaleVGM certificates, Method 1
- Axle weighingFinds uneven weight
The box
- The middleCentre of gravity within 5%
- Two halvesNo more than 60% in one
- The floor4.8 t/m 20 ft · 3 t/m 40 ft
- Heavy at the bottomBelow half the height
The walls
A general purpose container’s side walls take a uniform load of 60% of its payload; the front wall and the door end 40%. Block and brace a load that leans on them (CTU Code, 6.2.4).
Concentrated loads
A heavy piece on a small footprint goes onto the bottom girders, on timber or steel beams where needed, designed with the shipping line (CTU Code, Annex 7, 1.10, 3.1.1, 3.1.2).
The VGM
Weigh the packed, sealed box at a SAMSA-authorised facility (Method 1). No VGM, no loading; above the maximum gross mass on the CSC plate, it may not be loaded (SAMSA MN 01-25).
Where we operate
Our head office and 24-hour control centre are at 69–71 Barlow Road, Jupiter, Germiston, beside our customs-licensed depot, where we pack and weigh export containers, with an office in Durban.
- Germiston depot69–71 Barlow Road, Jupiter, Germiston 011 873 4786
- Durban · Greyville81 Berea Road, Greyville, Durban 031 305 0438
Part of Shipping & General Transport
Shipping & General Transport is a privately owned South African logistics company built on trustworthiness, perseverance and reliability. Export Packing is one of its specialist services: export containers packed at our customs-licensed depot and weighed on our own scale.
Visit shippingandgeneral.co.zaQuestions about export packing
Can’t find your answer? Our team is a phone call away.
Call 011 873 4786Do you pack export containers?
Yes, at our customs-licensed depot in Germiston: standard and complex packing, breakbulk, and abnormal and out-of-gauge shipments, with 10 forklifts, drum clamps, ramps and fork extensions. Send us the packing list: the pieces, weights and dimensions, the cargo type and handling needs, and whether any of it is hazardous.
Where should the heavy pieces go?
Towards the middle of the box, with lighter pieces at the ends, so the cargo’s centre of gravity sits close to the middle of the length and width: within 5% in general. The rule of thumb is no more than 60% of the weight in half the length (CTU Code, Annex 7, 3.1.4). The load balance check above works it out from your packing list.
What if the weight sits off-centre?
Past 5% of the middle, up to 10% may be accepted in particular circumstances, as advanced spreaders can adjust (CTU Code, Annex 7, 3.1.4). Further out, move weight towards the middle before the box is sealed. Our scale’s axle weighing finds uneven weight in a packed container.
How much weight can the floor take?
Hapag-Lloyd gives 4.8 tons per running metre for a standard 20 ft floor and 3 tons for a 40 ft. A heavy piece on a small footprint goes onto the bottom girders, on timber or steel beams where needed, designed with the shipping line (CTU Code, Annex 7, 1.10, 3.1.1, 3.1.2).
Can heavy cargo go on top?
No. Keep the centre of gravity below half the height: heavier cargo not on lighter, heavy units not on fragile parcels, and liquids not on solids (CTU Code, Annex 7, 1.11, 3.2.3).
Can the load lean on the walls?
Only so far. A general purpose container’s side walls take a uniform load of 60% of its payload, the front wall and the door end 40% (CTU Code, 6.2.4). Ask us about securing your load: our site doesn’t list lashing or dunnage.
How heavy can my container be?
Its payload is the maximum gross mass on the CSC plate less the tare on the door. Our check takes 28,000 kg for a 20 ft, 28,800 kg for a 40 ft and 28,600 kg for a 40 ft high cube if you don’t give one. Above the plate’s maximum gross mass, a container may not be loaded on the ship (SAMSA MN 01-25). The road has its own limits: our sister site checks the axles.
What is the VGM, and can you weigh my container?
The verified gross mass, which the shipper declares before the box is loaded. Method 1 weighs the packed, sealed container at a SAMSA-authorised facility; no VGM, no loading (SAMSA MN 01-25). Our 22 m scale in Germiston is SAMSA-authorised for Method 1 and issues VGM certificates.
Several suppliers going into one box?
Our sister site plans one export container filled from several suppliers: the box, the floor and top split, and what can’t share.
Do my pallets and crates need ISPM 15 marks?
Solid wood packaging leaving South Africa is treated and marked under ISPM 15. Our sister site checks each piece of wood in the shipment.
When does the box need to be packed for the vessel?
Work back from the stack closing time. Our sister site plans the export run: packed, weighed, pre-advised and on the road in time.
What does it cost?
We don’t publish prices. Answer the short questions in the quote form, add your load check if you like, and we’ll quote on your actual export.
What’s going in the box?
Five short questions and your contact details, plus your load check if you like. No prices online, just a quote on your actual export.
