What to confirm in the RFQ
- Unit, carton, bundle or pallet dimensions
- Which dimension set is packed for shipment
- Container internal dimensions and payload
- Orientation, floor positions and tiers
- Void, dunnage and bracing
A defensible selection method
- 1Calculate shipment CBM from the packed unit—not automatically the assembled product.
- 2Select the actual container type.
- 3Model floor positions and tiers for rigid cargo, or nest/fold increments for returnable packaging.
- 4Check weight and operational constraints before confirming quantity.
Claims and data guardrails
- • A stow factor is an assumption, not a packing plan.
- • CBM-based unit counts are rough unless the cargo behaves as the model assumes.
- • Treat supplier-provided values as source references until the quoted configuration is confirmed.
- • Do not extend a certificate, test report or marking beyond its named holder, model and stated scope.
- • Confirm MOQ, packing, destination requirements and inspection points in the quotation.
Frequently asked
What should I consider first?+
CBM measures volume: length × width × height in meters. It is useful for ordinary shipment volume, but units per container also require the actual packed configuration, floor layout, payload, bracing and loading constraints.
What information should the buyer confirm?+
Unit, carton, bundle or pallet dimensions; Which dimension set is packed for shipment; Container internal dimensions and payload; Orientation, floor positions and tiers; Void, dunnage and bracing.
How should loading or packing quantities be used?+
Use an applicable supplier load reference or a model based on the actual packed, nested, folded, cartoned or palletised configuration. A rough volume estimate is planning guidance only, not an authoritative loading count.
Turn the checklist into a product brief
Send the use case, dimensions, quantity and destination. Configuration, documents, MOQ and packing are confirmed in the quotation.