Flooring buyers think in square feet; shipping lines and US truckers think in kilograms. Bridging the two — and keeping the boards dry for four to six weeks at sea — decides both the landed cost and the claim rate.
Flooring is weight-limited
Engineered planks are dense. A container usually reaches its safe payload — and US road weight limits for the delivery truck — well before it is full. Plan by weight first:
| Step | How to calculate |
|---|---|
| 1. Weight per m² (or per sq ft) | Ask the mill for the packed weight per carton ÷ m² per carton |
| 2. Usable payload | The lower of the container's limit and the delivery-truck limit at destination, minus pallets and dunnage |
| 3. Area per container | Usable payload ÷ weight per m²; 1 m² = 10.764 sq ft |
Illustrative only: at about 10 kg/m² packed and a usable payload of 18,000 kg, a 20' container carries roughly 1,800 m² (about 19,000 sq ft). A 40' container often carries little more by weight, so many flooring importers ship in 20' units. Your own figures depend on thickness, species and packing — and on the destination's road rules, see transloading.
Cartons and pallets
- Cartons state the sq ft per carton, product name, colour code, dimensions, lot number and any required compliance label (TSCA Title VI).
- Pallets of heat-treated wood marked to ISPM 15, or plastic/presswood pallets.
- Corner boards and strapping that do not dent the carton edges; stretch wrap to keep lots together.
- Lot numbers kept together — US installers need the same lot for one floor.
Moisture: the most expensive mistake
- Agree a moisture-content range with the buyer before production (many US specifications sit in the single digits, matched to typical indoor conditions) and record readings at loading.
- Do not load in rain or onto wet container floors; use desiccant packs or strips sized for a tropical-to-winter voyage.
- Plastic-wrap pallets fully; seal carton ends.
- At destination, flooring should be stored flat, off the floor, in conditions close to the finished building — and acclimatised as the manufacturer instructs.
Shipping with furniture or other wood products? Similar rules apply — see loading furniture in a 40HC and export packing for the US.