Lashing a shear in a 40HQ: what the surveyor checks
Most container damage is not the sea. It is the lashing.
A 40 ft high-cube carries a shear that weighs more than the container’s own tare by a factor of four. During a voyage the ship rolls, the container flexes, and everything inside it that was not restrained tries to move. The sea does not break the machine. The machine breaks itself against the container walls.
What follows is what a surveyor actually checks when they open the doors, and the four failures that cause most claims.
The four failures behind most claims
| Failure | What it looks like | What it costs |
|---|---|---|
| Point loading on the floor | A machine foot resting directly on the container floor | Floor delamination, sometimes a hole through to the deck |
| Sideways movement | Machine shifted against one wall, paint gone, frame bent | Wall damage to the container, and a machine that no longer runs true |
| Door-end impact | Load has moved toward the doors during braking or rolling | Door damage, and a load that can fall out on opening |
| Insufficient bearing area | Steel rubbing directly on steel, no dunnage | Fretting, paint loss, surface corrosion during the voyage |
1. Load distribution before anything else
The container floor is rated for a distributed load, not for a point load. A 30 t machine on two narrow feet concentrates the whole weight on two small areas, which is exactly how floors delaminate.
What good looks like: hardwood dunnage laid across the floor, spread under every contact point, sized so the load is distributed over the full width rather than the two feet. The dunnage is the cheapest part of the shipment and the most often skimped.
2. Restraint in three axes, not one
Machines are usually chained down against vertical movement only. A ship rolls, so the load also needs restraint against sideways and longitudinal movement.
- Vertical: chain or strap over the frame, tensioned against timber bearers.
- Lateral: timber blocking braced against the container wall, or cross-lashed to the floor rings.
- Longitudinal: blocking at the door end and at the forward end.
A load restrained in one axis is a load that will find the other two.
3. The door end is where claims are decided
The single most common inspection failure is a load that has moved toward the doors. Containers are braked and shunted, and a load with no forward blocking slides into the doors.
What good looks like: timber blocking wedged between the load and the door frame, plus straps that prevent any forward travel. When the doors are opened at destination, the surveyor looks at the gap between load and doors first.
4. Protection from the container itself
Sea air is humid and the container sweats. Bare machined surfaces — cylinder rods, blade faces, unpainted spigots — corrode in transit even when the machine is otherwise fine.
- Wrap the machine in stretch film or VCI film before lashing, not after.
- Grease cylinder rods and blade edges, then cover them.
- Put desiccant in the container if the voyage is long or the route crosses climates.
What the surveyor photographs
Good lashing evidence is a set of photographs taken before the doors close, in this order:
- Floor and dunnage before the machine is set down
- Machine in position, feet on dunnage, before lashing
- Each lashing point, close enough to see the chain or strap and its tension
- Blocking at the door end and at the forward end
- The full load from the doorway, showing the gap to the doors
- The closed doors with the seal number visible
If a claim is ever made, this set is the difference between a defendable position and a negotiation.
Frequently asked questions
Chain or strap?
Chain for heavy machines because it does not stretch and does not cut on sharp edges. Straps are acceptable for lighter equipment and are easier on paint, but they lose tension and chafe. On a shear or baler, we use chain.
How much dunnage is enough?
Enough that no part of the machine touches the container floor directly, and the load is spread across the full width of the floor rather than two points.
Do you supply a lashing certificate?
You get photographs of the lashing before the doors close, and the container and seal numbers. A formal lashing certificate is available if your insurer or bank requires it.
Can I load two machines in one container?
Often yes, if the weights and centres allow it. Two machines must be blocked against each other as well as against the container — a load that can move relative to itself is two loads.
Let’s put the right machine to work.
Tell us your material, required output and destination. We’ll discuss a suitable configuration with you.