IBC totes for importers and forwarders

How empties accumulate

Liquid cargo arrives in containers: flavor concentrates, cosmetics bases, cleaning products, lubricants, edible oils. A consolidator unloads, repacks and ships. The totes that held the original goods sit empty. In a busy week, a warehouse in Doral may release dozens.

The trade has little time for empties. A forwarder's business is moving goods, not storing containers. A stack in the yard costs pallet positions and adds to a fire inspector's concerns.

Document first

1. Label every tote with the product, the date and the shipment.
2. Keep the SDS and the bill of lading in a folder.
3. Photograph the plate and the label.
4. Count by size and condition.
5. Send the load sheet.

With that, a buyer can decide in minutes. Without it, the tote is unknown, and unknowns go to the bottom of the grade scale.

Customs and bonded goods

A tote still holding goods under bond is not an empty. Make sure the shipment has cleared and the tote has been emptied under the broker's instructions before you list it. We do not handle bonded goods.

Who buys

Growers, landscapers and households buy rinsed and reconditioned totes. Other businesses buy new and rebottled totes. Recyclers take the rest. The route depends on the product.

Customs, paperwork and timing

Importers live by schedules. A container clears, the goods are drawn off, and the empties must be out of the bay before the next delivery. A forwarder who sends the load sheet early gives everyone more room to plan. One who waits until the yard is full may have to pay for after-hours help. Ask your customs broker whether any tote is still under bond, ask your supplier whether empties are returnable, and read the lease for rules about outside storage. A short standing note with the dock number, the contact and the forklift hours saves a phone call each week.

Floor space is money

Every pallet position in a Doral or Medley warehouse has a rent attached, and a stack of twenty empty totes can occupy a dozen positions for months. Counting that cost is the quickest way to justify a pickup. Photograph the stack, count the positions and compare against a monthly rent figure.