Tips and Advice Containerization

Cordstrap offer tailor made solutions for manufacturers using containers to provide total physical insurance for any cargo - from vehicles to palletized beverages – in any situation, whether transported by rail, sea, road or any combination of these. 

• Compliance with the latest version of the CTU code is important for shippers – who are now explicitly responsible for delivering a cargo which is safe and suitable for transport. All Cordstrap shipping solutions are fully CTU code compliant.
• Containers should always be checked for damage before cargo securing commences.
• Always pack goods in containers to achieve a tight fit and prevent movement during transit.
• Gaps between loads should be filled using products such as Cordstrap dunnage bags.
• Lashing should be applied only after consideration and calculation of the forces and movements that may act on the cargo. Calculations should be based on relevant codes or standards such as the CTU Code. Cordstrap’s team of cargo securing experts can advise for specific applications.
• Climate change can cause stresses on cargo in transport, for example when a vessel passes through different climate zones. The air temperature within a container can vary by 20-30ºC from the ambient temperature.
• Packing should always be undertaken with a view to avoiding biological contamination. Some countries regulate timber used in packing to ensure freedom from insects. The use of Cordstrap dunnage bags eliminates this possibility.
• Hazardous goods must always be transported in accordance with the relevant legislation.
• Certain types of cargo should never be packed together – for example, moist (or moisture-emitting) goods with dry (or moisture-sensitive) goods.
• Different securing materials have divergent load-deformation properties – and different types must thus not be used to secure the same item of cargo.
• Cordstrap strapping and lashing comes in different strengths, from 1,000 lbs (450 daN) to in excess of 45,000 lbs (20,000 daN). Note that polypropylene based straps, whilst superficially similar, have completely different elongation properties from Cordstrap strap.
• The best lashing for a particular solution depends on nature and weight of products and mode of transportation.
• To determine the right size of dunnage bag for a particular cargo:
  - measure the void between the cargo elements
  - measure the distance from the floor to top of the load
  - measure the length of the pallets (or other cargo type) to be secured