Container loading check: what to ask for before your goods leave
You do not need to stand at the container door to check a loading. Ask for four things: photos of the carton contents before taping, photos of the carton marks, a carton count that matches the packing list, and draft documents to approve before the originals. Each of them catches a mistake while it can still be fixed in Vietnam.
- For importers, shops and Amazon sellers
- LCL and full containers
- About 5 minutes to read
Before loading day: lock the packing
The loading check starts weeks earlier. A carton that was packed wrong has to be cut open and repacked. So the packing is fixed before bulk packing begins:
- We pack one sample unit first, you confirm it, and only then do we pack the order.
- For Amazon cartons, we label one test carton, you approve it, and then we label the rest.
- Any change to the packing spec is agreed before packing, not after.
How the earlier checks run is in five-step QC for natural chews.
1. Photos of the carton contents
Before cartons are taped, we photograph the inside of the cartons. Ask for those photos and check:
- Each size sits in its own bag, labelled with the right product code.
- Coffee wood bags are vacuum-tight with a desiccant pack inside.
- Your tag is inside each bag and the suffocation warning is on every bag.
- Where a final carton holds mixed sizes, it is the leftover carton at the end of a size run, and mixed cartons are packed to the same weight.
A wrong bag or a missing tag is far easier to fix in Vietnam than after the goods arrive.
2. Photos of the carton marks
Check the outside of the cartons against what you agreed:
- Standard orders: the shipping mark has four lines (WINVN, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, your company name and the port of destination), or follows the form you sent.
- Amazon FBA: each carton has both the FBA label and the shipping mark, numbered in sequence, with a Made in Vietnam label next to the FBA label.
- The carton itself: five-ply export cartons, with no other brand's logo on them. For Amazon our standard carton is 51 × 31 × 39 cm, packed under 22.5 kg.
If the Amazon destination warehouse changes, the FBA labels have to be reprinted. A change of booking does not need new labels. Tell us early either way. More in FBA prep for natural pet toys and on our packing page.
3. The count: cartons, pallets, packing list
The number of cartons or pallets on the packing list must match what is loaded, and later the number of packages on the bill of lading. If they differ, sort it out before the B/L is final. For coffee wood we use pallets of 1.2 × 1.1 m.
On a full container, the B/L carries your container and seal numbers. Either way, check that the vessel and voyage details on the draft match the final B/L. A full walk-through is in how to read a bill of lading.
Heat and timing on loading day
Coffee wood can crack from 40 °C, depending on its moisture at the time, and the vacuum bag limits that. We move wood in the cooler hours and out of harsh sun. On your side, if goods wait at a port or warehouse in summer, ask for them to be kept out of direct sun.
4. Fumigation and draft documents
If your country requires fumigation, it is done before export customs clearance, either on the pallets before the container is loaded or at the container yard, depending on what you ask for. On CIF and DAP our forwarder arranges it; on FOB and EXW your forwarder does, and we confirm this in writing once the booking is made. The fumigation certificate arrives after the B/L, because it carries the B/L, container and seal numbers. More in fumigation certificates for pet toys.
We send draft documents for your approval before the originals on every shipment: the draft B/L, and the phytosanitary, fumigation and origin certificates when your shipment needs them. For EU buyers, the consignee block (name, address, EORI, VAT) must be identical on every document. The B/L itself is issued by the shipping line or forwarder, and it is released once payment is complete.
Questions buyers ask about loading
Can I check the loading without travelling to Vietnam?
Yes. Ask for photos of the carton contents and marks, check the carton count against the packing list, and approve the draft documents before the originals.
When are carton photos taken?
Before the cartons are taped, so you can see the bags, tags and codes inside.
Why did the fumigation certificate arrive after the B/L?
It carries the B/L, container and seal numbers, so it is completed after the B/L.
Do I get to approve documents before the originals?
Yes. We send draft documents for your approval before the originals on every shipment.
What pallet size do you use?
For coffee wood we use pallets of 1.2 × 1.1 m.
Plan the loading with the order
Tell us your market, terms and marking needs when you ask for a quote, and the loading check is set before production starts.
Ask for a quote Coffee wood chews
Not ready yet? Start with samples: your first 3 are free, you pay the shipping.