Bulk in a box? Weight decides.
Lined box, big bags, bags or pallets: see how many containers your tonnes take, whether weight or space runs out first, and how it goes in and comes out. Then send us the load.
- 28 tA typical 20 ft payload
- 33.2Cubic metres in a 20 ft
- N3Full containers, both ways
One box, four ways to fill it.
- 01
A lined box
Blown or conveyed in behind a bulkhead, tilted out at the other end. 28 t, and space to spare.
- 02
Big bags
Lifted by the loops, two high. The weight limit comes before the roof.
- 03
Bags
560 bags of 50 kg, by hand or on pallets: weight again.
- 04
Pallets
Nine on one tier fill the floor first. Weighed at our depot, then onto the N3.
Request a quote for your bulk load
Your bulk load
Step 1 of 7- Packed as
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- Tonnes
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- Moving
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- Inland end
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- How often
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- When
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- Bulk check
- Optional
Lined box or bags, side by side
Loose bulk goes in a lined box and comes out by tilting. Packed bulk goes in big bags, smaller bags or on pallets and comes out by forklift or by hand. Either way, a dense commodity reaches the box’s weight limit before it fills the space.
Loose, in a lined box
- Liner and false bulkheadHeld by bars in the shoring slots
- Loaded levelBlown or conveyed in at the doors
- Tilted outStep by step, one door closed
- Twist locks onlyNever chains or rope
Packed: big bags, bags, pallets
- Big bags: read the labelSafe working load and safety factor
- Lift by the loopsNever drag a big bag
- Bags: by hand or on pallets28 t is 560 bags of 50 kg
- Pallets fill the floor9 or 11 a box, on one tier
Weight before space
A 20 ft holds 33.2 m³ and carries about 28 t, so anything denser than about 0.84 t/m³ fills it by weight. A 40 ft carries about 28.8 t for twice the space, which is why heavy goods go in 20 ft.
Weighed before it sails
Every export box needs its verified gross mass before it’s loaded on the ship. Our 22 m weighbridge in Germiston issues VGM certificates, and we’re authorised for Method 1.
Packed, emptied, delivered
Our Germiston depot packs and unpacks containers with 10 forklifts, breakbulk included. Side loaders set a box down at your site to pack or empty on the ground, and full containers run the N3 both ways.
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 containers are packed and unpacked, with an office in Durban. Our full containers run the N3 between the two.
- 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. Bulk Cargo Distribution is one of its specialist services: bulk and bagged commodities by container, packed at our depot and hauled on the N3.
Visit shippingandgeneral.co.zaQuestions about bulk by container
Can’t find your answer? Our team is a phone call away.
Call 011 873 4786Why do heavy goods go in 20 ft containers?
Because a 40 ft carries hardly more weight. The shipping lines quote about 28 t of payload for a 20 ft and about 28.8 t for a 40 ft, so a dense commodity reaches the limit in a 20 ft long before the space runs out, and a 40 ft only adds empty space.
What is a 20 ft’s payload?
Its maximum gross mass on the CSC plate less its tare, both marked on the box. The lines quote about 28.3 t (Maersk) to 30.2 t (one Hapag-Lloyd series) for a 20 ft. Our check uses 28,000 kg; enter your box’s own figure.
When does a box fill by weight, not space?
A 20 ft holds 33.2 m³. At a 28 t payload it fills by weight once the cargo is denser than about 0.84 t/m³. Liners, bags and pallets never use every cubic metre, so in practice the point comes a little lower.
What is a lined box?
A standard 20 or 40 ft fitted with a liner and a false bulkhead, held at the door by bars in the shoring slots, so loose product such as granules or powder can travel without bags. The European Chemical Transport Association’s guidelines say loading is safest with the box level, blown or conveyed in through the doors.
How is a lined box emptied?
By tilting it, step by step, ideally with one door closed and nobody behind it. The receiver needs a tilting chassis or platform; ECTA’s safer alternative is a transfer to a silo truck or another container at a specialist terminal. We don’t state fitting liners or tilting, so confirm with us.
What do the numbers on a big bag mean?
Under ISO 21898 the label gives the safe working load and the safety factor: 5:1 for a single-trip bag, 6:1 for standard-duty reusable and 8:1 for heavy-duty reusable. Never fill past the safe working load, lift by the loops and never drag the bag.
Can you pack and unpack bags and big bags?
Yes. Our customs-licensed depot in Germiston packs and unpacks containers with 10 forklifts, drum clamps, ramps and fork extensions, for standard and complex work, breakbulk included.
How many pallets fit in a 20 ft?
On one tier, 9 of 1,200 × 1,000 mm or 11 euro pallets. At under about 3 t a pallet the floor fills before the weight does. Our sister site works the load out carton by carton.
Who weighs an export box?
The shipper must declare its verified gross mass before it’s loaded. Our 22 m weighbridge issues VGM certificates, and we’re authorised for Method 1. Our sister site plans the stack dates.
Is a 28 t box legal on the road?
The box is only half of it: with its tare a full 20 ft weighs about 30 t, and the truck and trailer must stay within their legal mass. Our sister site checks a load against the limits.
Do you move liquid bulk?
We don’t state tank containers or flexitanks, so ask us first. We do move dangerous goods of every class except explosives, with Tremcards.
What does it cost?
We don’t publish prices. Answer the short questions in the quote form, add your bulk check if you like, and we’ll quote on your actual load.
How many tonnes?
Six short questions and your contact details, plus your bulk check if you like. No prices online, just a quote on your actual load.
