Shipping Container Regulations for Export

When buying a Shipping Container that you wish to use as a Shipping Container for Export, it is essential that the container has a Current CSC Plate (see CSC plate)affixed to the door and a recent Certificate of Survey by a Registered Surveyor, that the container is suitable for cargo carrying service.

Failure to have these items, can lead to quayside rejection, and refusal to load the container to ship.
The container will be removed from quayside and placed at your cost to a compound where a daily rate of approx £10-00 may be applied until subsequent removal from that area. The container cannot be satisfactorily be re-surveyed whilst loaded and you will then have additional costs to un-stuff
The container and have it surveyed by a competent Registered Surveyor and re-stuffed, assuming it has passed the criteria for serviceability. Should it not then you will have to dispose of your below standard container and find another to re-load your goods.

MAKE SURE THE SHIPPING CONTAINER FOR EXPORT HAS A CSC PLATE AND A BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE OF SURVEY.   

Having sourced your Shipping Container, consider how you will load it.
The alternatives are these …….
1/ Have your container delivered to the loading location, this can be done with an Empty Lifter, but before you decide to do this , once loaded over 6 tons gross the loaded container will need to be collected by a Loaded Lifter.
These are usually at least 50% dearer than the empty lifters and also require full access to the side of the container to pick up from the bottom castings.
If your intention is to have the container delivered to the quayside from your loading point, this may cost you a lot more than you anticipated based on the delivery to you of the empty container when you purchased it.
2/ Have all your goods ready packed and get the container delivered to your door on a conventional vehicle and load your goods into the container which will stay on the trailer or vehicle, whilst the vehicle waits. You will normally be  allowed 3 hrs for this and thereafter you will be charged Demurrage , which is a transport term for  ‘compensation charged when there is a delay in loading or unloading a carrier causing a delay in the carrier’s departure, ‘ currently around £35-00 to £45-00 per hour or any given part of an hour. The driver will also be legally restricted to the amount of hours he can work, so you do not have Carte Blanche here either.  Check your vehicle access including height (allow 14’ for STD container and 15’ for a Hi- Cube) and parking restrictions before booking this. Also work out the labour required to load the container bearing in mind that loading into a container whilst it is on a vehicle is hard work and the driver is usually not allowed for insurance reasons to help you.

3/ some container suppliers are now offering a package of facilities where you can buy your container and bring your goods to the container and when complete have the container picked up and taken to the quay, thus saving you transport to and collection costs after loading from your location.

Give every detail serious thought and if in doubt ask your container supplier, they are always willing to advise and it can save you a fortune.