Steel is heavy, hard-edged and shipped in the same containers as everything else. Most transit damage we see is not caused by the sea — it is caused by loading choices made in the final forty minutes at the warehouse door.
A 20-foot container is limited to about 28 tonnes payload, but many national road-leg limits are lower — 24–25 tonnes is a common practical ceiling in Latin America and Africa. Overweight containers generate fines and forced transloading at destination, so the packing plan should state the gross weight and the axle distribution, not just the cargo.
Eye to sky (coil axis vertical) is stable but wastes space and needs a strong wooden cradle. Eye to wall uses the container length efficiently and suits wide coils, but requires end support to stop axial movement. Either is correct; what is not correct is a coil loaded without cradles or wedges "because it always arrives fine".
Sheets travel on pallets with edge protection at every contact point with the strapping — steel band directly on a galvanized surface leaves marks that become rust starters. Profiled roofing sheet should be stacked flat with the pack supported at multiple points; a sagging pack arrives wavy.
A closed container crossing the equator cycles through dew points daily. Unprotected bright steel surfaces will show water staining on arrival. Desiccants, VCI paper, waterproof wrapping and ventilation after discharge are the standard answers; the wrapping quality matters more than the quantity of desiccant.
A stuffing record — container number, seal number, bundle positions, dunnage, open-door photo, closed-door photo — costs nothing and ends most disputes. We send it before the vessel sails, and we recommend buyers insist on it from any supplier.
Send the grade, the size and the quantity — you get a costed quotation within two working days.