REFERENCE
Blocking, Bracing & Cargo Securement
Why securing cargo inside a container matters as much as what you load — and how Conveyco coordinates it.
THE RISK
Cargo shifts during transit.
Ocean transit subjects containers to wave motion, vessel pitch, and crane handling. Rail transit adds switching impacts and curve forces. Truck transit adds road vibration, braking forces, and turn forces. By the time a container reaches its destination, it has been moved, lifted, and accelerated dozens of times.
Cargo that wasn't braced properly arrives shifted, leaning, or damaged. Bulk bags collapse. Pallets tip. Drums roll. Machinery breaks free of lashing points. Reefer cargo blocks airflow and gets temperature damaged. The cost: damaged cargo, claims, transloading fees, customs delays, and unhappy customers.
Bracing materials cost a fraction of what claims cost. Done right, properly secured cargo arrives the way it left.
SECUREMENT BY CARGO TYPE
What works for different freight
| Cargo Type | Risk | Common Securement |
|---|---|---|
| Palletized goods (light) | Shifting, sliding | Lashing straps + dunnage bags in voids |
| Palletized goods (heavy) | Floor stress, shift | Reinforced floor (if needed), straps to corner posts, edge protection |
| Bulk bags / Supersacks | Bag collapse, leaning | Corner protection, top netting, fill voids with dunnage |
| Bulk dry (pulses, grain, feed) | Cargo surge, bag rupture | Container poly liner bag (installed pre-loading), proper inflation |
| Drums and barrels | Rolling, tipping | Chocks, banding straps, dunnage |
| Crated machinery | Impact damage, lashing failure | Lash to corner castings (4 points), foam/wood blocking, edge protection |
| Reefer palletized cargo | Airflow blockage, temperature variance | Pallets centered, no contact with walls, no blocking of top channel |
| Hazmat | Regulatory + securement | IMDG compliance, segregation, certified securement |
| Mixed consolidation (LCL) | Multi-shipper risk | Compartment dividers, neighbor protection, sturdy bracing |
MATERIALS
What gets used
Lashing straps
Polyester or polypropylene straps that secure cargo to corner castings, lashing rings, or D-rings inside the container. Rated by working load limit (WLL). Used for palletized cargo, machinery, and any item needing tie-down.
Dunnage bags (airbags)
Inflatable bags that fill voids between cargo. Inflated to apply pressure that prevents shift. Common for palletized loads with gaps. Single-use, biodegradable options available.
Wood blocking
Sawn lumber used to brace heavy or irregularly-shaped cargo. Custom-cut to fit. Most common for machinery, equipment, and oversized cargo. Often required by carrier or shipper specifications.
Container liner bags
Heavy poly liner installed inside the container before loading. Used for bulk dry cargo (pulses, grains, animal feed). Protects cargo from moisture, contamination, and contact with container walls.
Corner protectors
Cardboard, plastic, or metal pieces that protect cargo from strap pressure at edges. Prevent strap cutting into pallets or bags.
Netting / top webbing
Mesh netting installed across the top of bulk bag loads. Prevents bags from tipping or shifting during transit. Common for supersack loads in 20' containers.
Edge guards / floor padding
Foam or rubber padding placed between cargo and the container floor or walls. Reduces vibration damage and prevents marking.
Steel banding
Used to band rows of drums, barrels, or palletized cargo together. Common for chemical drums and IBC totes.
AVOID THESE
Where bracing goes wrong
- Skipping bracing to save money: The most common mistake. Bracing materials cost $50–200 per container. Cargo claims cost thousands.
- Loading heavy cargo high: Top-heavy containers can tip during port handling. Always heavy on bottom, lighter on top.
- Concentrating weight on one end: Causes axle imbalance for drayage. Containers loaded with all the weight at one end get rejected at terminal gates or fail weigh stations.
- Using damaged pallets: Cracked or broken pallets fail during transit. Inspect pallets before loading or specify new pallets for shipments where damage isn't acceptable.
- Forgetting top dunnage when container isn't full: If cargo doesn't reach the ceiling, top-of-load needs bracing to prevent vertical shift during ocean transit.
- Blocking reefer airflow channels: Reefer cargo must not block the floor channels (T-bar floor) or the top return-air channel. Common mistake with palletized reefer loads.
- Mixing incompatible cargo (LCL): Putting hazmat next to food, fragile next to heavy, etc. LCL consolidators have rules about this — work with your forwarder to confirm cargo compatibility.
- Not communicating cargo specs in advance: Bracing has to be planned. Showing up to load without knowing the requirements means delays, wrong materials, or skipped securement.
Conveyco coordinates bracing — we don't physically perform it.
Conveyco works with warehouse and transload vendors who handle the physical loading and bracing work. Our job is to coordinate the operational network — making sure the right materials, equipment, and crew are in place at the right time.
For exports loading at origin facilities, the shipper or their crew typically handles loading. We coordinate equipment specs, liner bag delivery if needed, reefer pre-trip inspection, and any special handling requirements.
For transloads through our warehouse and vendor partners, vendor crews load and brace. We arrange the work — but we need cargo specifications and securement requirements communicated to us before loading begins.
Critically: Bracing planning has to happen in advance. If a load shows up at the dock without communicated bracing requirements, we either delay to source materials, ship without proper securement (risking damage), or transload (expensive). The most expensive surprise in container loading is finding out at the dock that the bracing wasn't planned.
Talk to us before your cargo loads. We'll work through the requirements, coordinate the right vendors, and confirm what's needed for your specific cargo and route.
Bracing should be planned, not improvised.
Tell us about your cargo before loading. We'll coordinate the right materials, vendors, and approach for your shipment.