The same warehouse kit can cost 15% more just by loading it badly. Container utilization is designed, not lucky.
Ocean freight is priced per container, not per tonne — so the core metric for knocked-down steel is container utilization. The same 3,000 m² warehouse kit can differ by 2–3 containers between an optimized loading plan and careless boxing: 15%+ in freight.
The key lies in member-breakdown design: segment lengths must match container internals (about 12m inside a 40ft high-cube), purlins typically designed at 11.8m. The sequence of long members mixed with small parts, reusable stillages, and heavy-items-first loading all affect per-container volume.
An often-missed cost: unloading at destination. If the loading plan marks each member's weight and lifting points, the port can machine-unload directly — the time and money saved versus manual handling often exceeds a full container's freight.
Shanghai Xionglan Steel Structure · Exported to 60+ countries · EN 1090 CE certified · Engineer reply within 24 hours
Talk to an engineer View product systems