Container unloading (de-vanning) is priced per container, per pallet, or hourly. Palletized freight that comes out on a forklift is at the low end; floor-loaded cartons that must be hand-stacked onto pallets cost several times more, because the work is labor-hours rather than equipment minutes. Heavy or oversized freight requiring crane or specialized attachments is priced separately again.
The three cost tiers
Know which tier your freight falls into before asking for a rate.
- Palletized, forklift-accessible: fastest and cheapest, often well under an hour per container.
- Floor-loaded cartons requiring palletizing: labor-intensive, commonly several hours per container.
- Heavy, oversized or specialty (coils, machinery, flat racks): equipment and rigging driven, quoted individually.
What else appears on the invoice
Pallets and shrink wrap, dunnage disposal, sorting or segregation, count and condition reporting, detention if the driver waits, and after-hours premiums.
How to get a comparable quote
State the commodity, whether the container is floor-loaded or palletized, the expected carton or piece count, the weight, and whether you need count and condition documentation. Rates given without those facts are placeholders.
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