Container transportation involves several operational steps between the empty-container depot, shipper’s warehouse, port terminal and final destination.
Terms used in China do not always have an exact one-word English equivalent. Depending on the country, shipping line, terminal and trucking company, different expressions may be used for the same operation.
This article explains four common container-handling operations: container pickup, transloading, grounding and devanning.
1. Container Pickup
Container pickup refers to a truck driver collecting a container from a designated location, such as an empty-container depot, and loading it onto a container chassis for transportation.
In simple terms, it is the initial operation of collecting a container and transporting it from one location to another.
Other related expressions include:
- Empty container pickup
- Container collection
- Equipment pickup
- Empty pickup
- Container drayage pickup
Practical Example
When an exporter is preparing a shipment, the freight forwarder, customs broker or trucking company arranges for a driver to collect an empty container from the designated depot.
The driver arrives at the depot with an empty chassis, completes the required procedures and receives the container. The empty container is then transported to the shipper’s factory or warehouse for loading.
For example, an electronics manufacturer in Shenzhen is exporting products to the United States. The freight forwarder instructs a container truck driver to collect an empty container from a depot near Yantian Port.
The driver transports the container to the manufacturer’s warehouse, where the export cargo is loaded.
Information Required Before Container Pickup
The trucking company will normally need:
- Container release order
- Container type and size
- Designated empty-container depot
- Booking number
- Shipping line
- Pickup date
- Factory or warehouse address
- Container-loading appointment
- Driver and vehicle information
The condition of the empty container should be checked before it leaves the depot. Any holes, damaged doors, water leakage, unusual odors or contaminated floors should be reported immediately.
2. Container Transloading
Container transloading means transferring cargo from one container to another.
This may be required when:
- The original container is damaged
- The container is unsuitable for the cargo
- The cargo needs to be consolidated
- The loading arrangement needs to be adjusted
- Cargo needs to be split between different containers
- The shipment must be transferred to a different container type
- Weight distribution needs to be corrected
Other related expressions include:
- Cargo transfer
- Container-to-container transfer
- Reloading
- Cross-loading
- Reworking the container
Practical Example
In less-than-container-load shipping, cargo from multiple shippers may be consolidated into one container.
If one shipper’s cargo arrives late after other shipments have already been loaded, the warehouse may need to unload or transfer part of the existing cargo to another container. This creates enough space to load the late-arriving shipment without delaying the entire consolidation plan.
Another common situation occurs when a loaded container is found to be damaged. If the damage could affect cargo safety or cause the container to be rejected by the terminal or shipping line, the cargo must be transferred into a sound container.
Transloading may involve additional costs, including:
- Warehouse handling
- Labor
- Forklift or crane services
- New container pickup
- Container detention
- Cargo inspection
- Repacking
- Additional trucking
- Documentation amendments
Transloading Is Not the Same as Container Shifting
In Chinese logistics operations, the same general term may sometimes be used when a container is moved from one position to another within a terminal or container yard.
However, if the cargo remains inside the same container, the more accurate English terms are:
- Container shifting
- Yard shifting
- Container repositioning
- Restow
These operations involve moving the container itself—not transferring the cargo into another container.
3. Container Grounding
Container grounding refers to removing a container from a truck chassis and placing it on the ground or in a designated terminal, depot or warehouse area.
Other commonly used expressions include:
- Grounding the container
- Container drop
- Dropping the container
- Container offloading
- Setting down the container
The correct term may depend on local trucking and terminal practices.
Practical Example
After export cargo has been loaded, the truck transports the full container to the port terminal.
Upon arrival, the container is removed from the chassis and placed in the terminal yard. The terminal then checks and registers the container before assigning it to a storage position to wait for loading onto the vessel.
Grounding can also occur during import transportation.
After an import container is discharged from the vessel, a truck may transport it to an off-dock container yard, customs-supervised facility or warehouse. The container is then removed from the chassis and placed in the designated area for customs clearance, inspection or subsequent cargo pickup.
Grounding Versus Live Unloading
A grounded-container arrangement is different from live unloading.
With live unloading, the driver waits while the cargo is removed from the container, after which the same truck returns the empty container.
With a drop-and-pick arrangement, the driver drops the container at the facility and leaves. The container is collected later after unloading has been completed.
The selected method can affect:
- Truck waiting time
- Chassis usage
- Detention charges
- Warehouse scheduling
- Empty-container return deadlines
- Overall delivery costs
4. Container Devanning
Container devanning refers to removing cargo from inside a container after it arrives at the destination.
The operation is also commonly called:
- Container stripping
- Unstuffing
- Container unloading
- Deconsolidation
“Devanning” and “container stripping” are widely used in international shipping, while “unstuffing” is common in many freight-forwarding and warehouse environments.
Practical Example
A container of imported furniture arrives at the destination port and is transported to a warehouse after customs clearance.
Warehouse workers open the container and remove the furniture piece by piece. The cargo is then checked, sorted and transferred to storage or prepared for delivery to the importer’s customers.
Devanning may also be required during customs inspection. Customs officers may ask the importer or freight forwarder to remove some or all of the cargo so that the actual goods can be compared with the customs declaration.
For consolidated LCL cargo, the container is normally moved to a container freight station after arrival. The cargo is then stripped, separated according to the relevant house bills of lading and released to different consignees.
Important Points During Devanning
Before and during devanning, the operator should check:
- Container seal number
- Exterior condition of the container
- Door condition
- Signs of cargo movement
- Water damage or moisture
- Damaged packaging
- Cargo quantity
- Loading photographs
- Customs or inspection requirements
If cargo damage or shortage is discovered, photographs and written records should be prepared before the cargo is moved further.
Quick Comparison
| Operation | Common English Term | What Happens? |
|---|---|---|
| 背箱 | Container pickup | A truck collects a container from a depot or terminal |
| 倒箱 | Transloading | Cargo is transferred from one container to another |
| 场内倒箱 | Container shifting or repositioning | The container is moved to another position without transferring the cargo |
| 落箱 | Container grounding or container drop | The container is removed from the truck chassis and placed at a designated location |
| 掏箱 | Devanning or container stripping | Cargo is removed from inside the container |
Why These Operations Matter
These container-handling activities may appear simple, but they can affect:
- Trucking costs
- Container detention and demurrage
- Terminal handling charges
- Cargo safety
- Customs inspection
- Warehouse scheduling
- Empty-container return
- Vessel cut-off times
- Overall delivery time
When requesting a freight quotation, customers should clearly state whether the shipment requires an empty-container pickup, container drop, live unloading, transloading or devanning service.
This allows the freight forwarder to calculate the correct handling costs and arrange the appropriate truck, chassis, warehouse and labor resources.
Need Container Transportation or Handling Support?
Huanhan Logistics provides international ocean freight, container trucking, FCL and LCL transportation, customs-clearance coordination and door-to-door logistics solutions.
To receive an accurate quotation, please provide:
- Cargo description
- Number of packages
- Gross weight and volume
- Container type
- Pickup address
- Port of loading
- Destination port
- Final delivery address
- Loading or unloading requirements
- Preferred shipping date
Our team can arrange a complete container logistics solution covering pickup, loading, terminal delivery, ocean freight, customs coordination and final delivery.
