Cases Details
How We Load New Energy Vehicles into Containers: The Complete Container Loading Process
2025-12-12
When new energy vehicles (NEVs) roll off the production line and head to global markets, many people wonder: how are these "giants"—often several meters long and tons heavy—ingeniously loaded into standard containers to embark on their transoceanic journey? What seems like a simple "container loading" process is actually a sophisticated operation integrating safety control, space utilization, and compliant procedures. After all, as Class 9 dangerous goods, every step of NEV container transportation leaves no room for error.
I. Pre-Loading: Dual Inspections to Build the First Line of Safety Defense
The starting point of the container loading operation is the "dual inspections" of vehicles and containers, which lay the foundation for safe transportation.
At Guangzhou Nansha Port, a core NEV export hub in South China, vehicles are not loaded into containers immediately upon arrival at the loading site. Our tally clerks use PDA terminals to verify Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs), exterior conditions, and accompanying items one by one. From small items such as charging pile accessories and user manuals to major aspects like body paint and tire pressure, every detail is cross-checked against the checklist to avoid disputes over lost items or vehicle damage during transportation. More importantly, the battery status of NEVs must be strictly controlled: in accordance with international transportation standards, the battery charge level shall not exceed 30%-40%. This not only prevents overheating during transportation but also retains the minimum power required for emergency startup. Meanwhile, our staff will disconnect the vehicle's power supply and cut off non-essential electrical circuits to further reduce safety risks.
Containers, serving as the "mobile homes" for vehicles, also undergo meticulous inspections. Tally clerks walk around each container to check for damage, dents, smooth opening and closing of container doors, and loose internal flooring. The loading team verifies auxiliary tools such as brackets, bolts, and lashing straps one by one to ensure no deformation or breakage—these seemingly ordinary accessories will directly withstand the bumpy impacts during maritime transportation. Notably, all our operators must comply with special dress codes: no belts, no necklaces, and no clothing with zippers. This is to prevent hard objects from scratching the vehicle paint, reflecting professionalism in every detail.
![latest company case about [#aname#]](http://style.jcrdgo.com/images/load_icon.gif){kind=icon}
II. Container Selection and Layout: The Scientific Logic of Space Optimization
"How many NEVs can fit in one container?" The answer is not fixed but depends on the precise matching between space and vehicle type.
Different types of containers vary significantly in loading capacity. The common container types and their adaptation schemes in the industry are as follows:
-
- 20ft Standard Container: With compact space, it can only accommodate 1 medium-sized NEV, suitable for high-value luxury models;
-
- 40ft Standard Container: It can load 2-3 compact cars in flat loading, making it the most cost-effective choice;
-
- 40ft High Cube Container: Equipped with additional vertical space, it can load 3-4 vehicles after installing layered brackets, increasing space utilization by 30%;
-
- 40ft/48ft Flat Rack Container: This is a dedicated container type adapted to the multi-model export needs of Guangzhou Nansha Port. Equipped with movable ramps and offering wide visibility, it can load up to 3 vehicles and is compatible with special models such as SUVs and pickup trucks, perfectly matching the diversified export characteristics of NEVs in South China.
The core principle of layout design is "safe spacing + maximum space utilization". Regardless of the container type, a minimum safety distance of 6 centimeters must be maintained between the vehicle and the container wall to prevent collision and friction during navigation. For high cube containers with layered loading, vehicles on the "upper deck" need to reverse into the container to save space by leveraging the shorter front of the car, while vehicles on the "lower deck" can drive forward directly, forming a scientific spatial layout. This "staggered upper-lower" loading method achieves "1+1>2" loading efficiency within the limited container space, avoids mutual extrusion of vehicle components, and better adapts to the busy export operation rhythm of Guangzhou Nansha Port.
III. Loading and Securing: Millimeter-Level Control + Multiple Protections
If pre-loading preparations are "paperwork planning", then vehicle loading and securing are the "practical operations", testing the skills and patience of the operation team.
The loading process can be described as "dancing on the tip of a needle". Experienced positioning drivers need to drive at a low speed of 5 kilometers per hour, accurately grasping the vehicle dimensions to park the car steadily at the designated position. Due to the narrow space inside the container, drivers often have to lean sideways and hold their abdomen to climb out from the gap between the car door and the container wall—hence the industry joke that "fat people can't do loading work". For layered loading scenarios, we use forklifts for coordination: first, the bracket carrying the "upper deck" vehicle is slowly lifted to avoid obstacles at the top of the container, then the bracket height is fixed with bolts to ensure the smooth entry of vehicles below. At Guangzhou Nansha Port, such operations are combined with the port's efficient scheduling system to further shorten the loading time per container and improve overall export efficiency.
The securing operation is a "multiple insurance", with the core being "tire fixation + bracket reinforcement + container lashing". Firstly, each tire is clamped by two right-angle "wooden shoes", which are firmly fixed to the container floor with three screws to prevent the vehicle from sliding forward and backward; secondly, high-strength lashing straps are tightly fastened to the tires and container lashing rings in a "cross-lashing" manner, and the straps must be aligned with the tire centerline to ensure uniform force bearing; if layered brackets are used, the brackets must be fixed to the tires and the container respectively, forming a stable "vehicle-bracket-container" trinity structure. These brackets may seem "thin", but they are customized accessories designed according to the weight and dimensions of NEVs, capable of withstanding tons of impact force. Even in the complex navigation environment of the South China Sea, they can ensure the vehicle remains stationary.
IV. Compliance and Customs Clearance: Dangerous Goods Declaration + Full-Process Traceability
As Class 9 dangerous goods, the compliance of NEV container loading directly determines whether they can sail smoothly overseas.
After loading is completed, the first step is "dangerous goods declaration". Our on-site inspectors must, in accordance with the "Safety Technical Requirements for Shipping Dangerous Goods Containers" (GB40163-2021), take photos of the pre-loading, during-loading, and post-loading stages, record the container number, vehicle information, and securing status, fill in the loading record form, and issue the container certificate. Subsequently, the declaration is submitted through the "one-stop" online platform of Guangzhou Maritime Safety Administration, and shipment can only be arranged after approval. Relying on the efficient linkage mechanism between Guangzhou Nansha Port and maritime authorities, the declaration process can realize "submission on the same day and approval on the next day", greatly shortening the waiting time. Meanwhile, dangerous goods labels must be affixed to both sides and the door of the container to remind all transportation links to take protective measures.
The second step is "full-process traceability". At Guangzhou Nansha Port, we have installed row-type explosion-proof cameras covering the entire loading area to monitor the entire loading process in real time, and every operational detail can be "fully viewed" in the port's roll-on/roll-off control center. The port has also introduced an intelligent monitoring platform based on 5G + Internet of Things (IoT), which not only monitors the temperature and humidity inside the container in real time but also provides indirect early warnings for battery status. Once an abnormality occurs, an audible and visual alarm is triggered immediately. All loading photos are filed by container number and synchronously submitted to the port's central platform for review to ensure full consistency with the loading and reinforcement plan, forming a complete closed loop of "loading - review - traceability" to meet the compliance inspection needs of customs and overseas customers.
Finally, the containers are transported to the berths by special trucks within the port and then lifted into the ship's hold by large quay cranes. Flat rack containers can also be flexibly shipped on container ships or multi-purpose ships that operate regularly at Guangzhou Nansha Port; if stacking is required, special cover plates will be added for protection, and the top containers will be directly covered with hold covers to ensure navigation safety. When the ships sound their horns and set sail from Guangzhou Nansha Port, passing through the South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca, these precisely loaded NEVs embark on their global journey across mountains and seas.
The Overseas Shipping Strength Behind Loading
The container loading of NEVs, seemingly a simple "loading" process, is actually a microcosm of the maturity of China's auto export industrial chain, and more importantly, a manifestation of Guangzhou Nansha Port's strength as a gateway for NEV exports in South China. From the deployment of dedicated containers adapted to diversified vehicle models to the millimeter-level operation standards that fit the port's operational rhythm, from multiple safety protections to cope with the complex maritime environment of the South China Sea to full-process compliant control linked with maritime authorities and customs, every detail reflects the collaborative advantages of "Made in China + Nansha Logistics". With the implementation of the new used car export policy and the surge in demand for NEVs in Southeast Asian and European markets, this sophisticated loading process at Guangzhou Nansha Port will continue to be optimized, enabling more Chinese NEVs to go global safely and efficiently from this South China gateway and becoming a new engine for foreign trade growth.
28355189
28355189
