Container stuffing

Container stuffing means loading, bracing and securing export cargo inside a shipping container. PLS has your container stuffed in Antwerp, from pallets to coils, steel, project cargo and vehicles on a flat rack. The loaded container then goes to the terminal in time for the vessel closing.

Almost anyone can load pallets. It gets harder with cargo that is heavy, oddly shaped or too big for a closed container. That is the work we handle.

What is container stuffing?

In container stuffing, an empty container is loaded in a warehouse rather than at the shipper's site. Experienced staff decide how the cargo goes in, spread the weight and secure everything with timber bracing and lashing straps. The container then moves to the quay.

It is the counterpart of container stripping, where an import container is unloaded. Both take place in the Antwerp warehouses we have access to, as part of our warehousing, storage and terminal operations.

When should you have a container stuffed in a warehouse?

Loading at your own site works for pallets and cartons. Coils, steel, machinery or out-of-gauge pieces are a different story. They need the right lifting gear and, above all, experience.

We work with forklifts, reach stackers and cranes, depending on weight and shape. Experienced staff work out by hand how the cargo fits, without load-planning software. With irregular pieces, the person looking at the cargo makes the call.

Stuffing in a warehouse also helps when your goods come from several suppliers. We have them collected from each address and loaded together into one full container.

Who handles your stuffing order?

Our colleague Dominique runs the regular stuffing flows. She has 5 to 6 containers stuffed every week for customers with recurring exports. Every container goes through the same checklist, from booking to confirmation of exit.

You deal with her directly, not with a general number or a call centre.

How many days before closing must your cargo arrive?

Ideally, allow 3 days before the vessel closing. That leaves time to stuff, lash, prepare the paperwork and deliver the container to the terminal. Stuffing on the day of closing itself is not possible.

Which containers do we stuff?

Dry containers and high cubes

In dry containers and high cubes we load palletised general cargo, steel and heavy loose pieces. Heavy pieces sit on timber beams, are braced with cross beams and secured with lashing straps. That keeps them from shifting at sea.

Coils need their own approach. They are loaded eye-to-sky in timber cradles and centred in the container to spread the weight evenly across the floor.

Flat racks and open tops

Anything too tall, too wide or too heavy for a closed container goes on a flat rack or in an open top. Think vehicles, machinery and project cargo. That calls for different lifting gear and different lashing than a dry container.

If an out-of-gauge piece first has to reach Antwerp by road, we also arrange the exceptional transport.

How does a stuffing order work, step by step?

1. We book the container with the shipping line, or you book it yourself and send us the booking details.
2. We pass the stuffing order to the stevedoring company in the port.
3. The cargo is delivered or collected by us, from several addresses if needed.
4. The empty container is picked up and we check that everything is ready.
5. The customs declarant prepares the export declaration (EX-A) and you receive a copy. Whether we handle these customs formalities depends on the HS code of your goods.
6. The container is loaded, braced and lashed.
7. We pre-notify the container in APCS, the Port Community System of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
8. On request, you receive a stuffing report with photos.
9. The container is delivered to the quay before closing.
10. We only close the file once the export declaration is discharged. That is the proof your goods have left the EU.

An over-height fire engine to South America

In April 2026 a fire engine had to go from the south of France to South America. It measured 800 x 240 x 300 cm and weighed 8 tonnes. At that height, it would not fit in any closed container.

PLS arranged transport from the south of France to Antwerp, then had the vehicle stuffed and lashed on a flat rack. The flat rack was over-height and went to the terminal by barge. Dominique followed the file with the same checklist as any other container, until the export declaration was discharged.

Request a container stuffing quote

Want to know what container stuffing costs for your shipment? Send us the goods with dimensions and weight per piece, the number of packages, the pickup address or addresses, the destination and the preferred sailing. The HS code helps too, especially if we handle the export declaration. You will hear back from the person who then follows up your file.