Guide
Steel Grating Packaging and Shipping for Export Orders
By DONGFU GRATING Engineering Team · Published 2026-06-24 · Updated 2026-09-04
Steel grating is heavy, hard-edged and — once galvanized — sensitive to trapped moisture, so export packing has to be planned for those conditions. Common options include steel-strapped bundles on timbers or fumigation-free pallets with corner protection, while irregular, stainless or high-value panels may use welded steel frames or crates. When project marking is specified, panel tags can match the layout drawing numbering so site crews can sort the delivery in sequence. Galvanized bundles require ventilation to limit wet-storage staining; stainless and aluminum panels require surface protection and separation from carbon steel. The agreed dispatch-document package can include packing-list data and container loading photos. Container loads are calculated per shipment from panel size, weight, packing method and destination weight limits.
Packing methods compared
| Method | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Steel strapping on timbers | Standard rectangular panels in full bundles | Most economical; corner protectors on edges |
| Fumigation-free pallets | Forklift-handled bundles and mixed sizes | Easy site handling; ISPM-friendly options |
| Welded steel frames / crates | Irregular shapes, stainless, high-value panels | Crush protection for long sea freight |
| Reinforced strapping | Heavy duty and oversized panels | Extra bands against transport deformation |
| Panel tagging | All project orders | Tags match layout drawing numbering |
White rust prevention and surface protection
Freshly galvanized zinc reacts with trapped moisture to form wet-storage staining — a white, cosmetic film. It does not significantly reduce protection and weathers away, but good packing limits it: bundles are spaced for airflow, wrapped so they shed water without sealing it in, and should be stored dry and ventilated at site. Stainless and aluminum panels travel with surface protection film or interleaving, and are never bundled against bare carbon steel, which can contaminate and abrade their surfaces.
- Ventilated bundling for galvanized panels
- Surface protection and interleaving for stainless and aluminum
- Physical separation of stainless and aluminum from carbon steel in the same container
Marking, tagging and site sorting
Large projects depend on identification. When project marking is included in the order, panels can be tagged with the area and sequence number from the layout drawing — for example Area-A-01 — while bundle marks and the packing list use the same numbering. State the required convention at order stage so it becomes part of the agreed packing scope.
Container loading notes
- Loading is calculated per shipment: 20 ft and 40 ft payloads depend on panel size, weight, packing method and destination weight limits
- Blocking, bracing and container loading photos can be included when specified for the shipment
- Single-piece weight is planned for manual handling where needed — oversized panels are split at design stage
- Mixed-material orders are loaded with stainless and aluminum separated from carbon steel
- Destination port weight limits and the unloading method — forklift or crane — are confirmed before loading
Documents you receive
- Packing list: quantities, panel numbers, gross and net weights, volumes
- Container loading photos when included in the order requirements
- Inspection reports, including coating-thickness records, when specified
- Material certificates where specified
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming a fixed tons-per-container figure — loading is calculated per shipment from real panel data
- Ordering project panels without a tagging convention, then sorting hundreds of identical panels on site
- Wrapping galvanized bundles airtight for sea freight, trapping moisture and inviting white rust
- Bundling stainless or aluminum panels with carbon steel, causing contamination and abrasion marks
- Leaving the unloading method unconfirmed — a container of 100 kg bundles needs a forklift or crane at site
