The first thing surprising buyers about SPC is that a container almost never fills to the roof. SPC has a stone-polymer core, so it is heavy for its volume. You hit the payload ceiling with the container maybe two-thirds full, and that governs how much you can load. Here is how to think about it before you plan an order.
The three containers you will be quoted in
Ocean freight for flooring moves in standard dry containers. The choice is usually between these three.
| Container | Internal length | Typical max payload | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20ft standard | ~5.9 m | ~28 tonnes | Heavy, dense cargo like SPC where weight is the limit |
| 40ft standard | ~12 m | ~26-28 tonnes | Mixed loads; more volume for the same weight ceiling |
| 40ft High Cube (40HC) | ~12 m, taller | ~26-28 tonnes | Bulkier or lighter goods; extra height, similar weight limit |
Those payload figures are general shipping limits set by the container and the shipping line, not MILAT numbers. Your actual allowance can be lower depending on road-weight rules in the destination country, so confirm the legal axle limit for the final leg.
Why weight, not space, is the real constraint
A pallet of SPC is dense. Stack enough pallets to reach the container's payload ceiling and you are often nowhere near the ceiling of the box. That is why a 20ft container is frequently the sweet spot for SPC: it carries close to the same tonnage as a 40ft but costs less to ship, and you would not be able to legally fill a 40ft to its full volume with SPC anyway without breaching the weight limit.
- SPC and rigid LVT are heavy per square metre because of the stone-polymer core.
- You will usually reach the payload limit with the container part-full.
- Lighter formats or thinner planks let you load more square metres before hitting the weight ceiling.
- Pallet configuration and dunnage also eat into usable weight and space.
So how many square metres per container?
It depends almost entirely on plank thickness. A thicker 5mm or 6mm board weighs more per square metre than a 4mm board, so fewer square metres fit under the same weight limit. Add the wear-layer thickness and any attached underlay and the figure shifts again. That is why a responsible supplier will not give you a single fixed m2-per-container number up front: it is calculated once your exact specification is set.
The practical move is to tell your supplier the thickness, format and destination, and let them work back to the loadable quantity and the container that gives you the best cost per square metre.
Pallet configuration decides more than you think
Square metres per container is really a question of pallets. Box dimensions, boxes per pallet, pallet height and how pairs of pallets sit across the container width all interact, and a configuration tuned to the plank format wastes less payload on packaging and air. It also matters after the voyage: pallet height must clear your warehouse racking, and pallet weight must suit your forklift. Tell the factory about your racking and handling limits before loading, not after, and the load plan can be built around your warehouse instead of against it.
Mixing designs and products in one container
A container does not have to be one design. Distributors routinely load several decors in a single shipment to build a range without holding excess stock of any one colour, and a first order mixing the market's safest oak tones with a couple of test designs is a sensible pattern. The practical rules: mix by full pallets rather than loose boxes where possible, keep the packing list precise so customs and your warehouse can reconcile it quickly, and remember each design carries its own batch number for future matching.
Use the leftover volume for accessories
Because SPC hits the weight ceiling before the walls, part of the container rides empty. That space is nearly free freight for anything light. Skirting, stair nosings, transition profiles and trims are bulky, awkward to source locally in matching colours, and weigh little; loading them with the flooring solves colour matching and logistics in one move. Marketing weight rides along too: display boards, sample folders and brochures for your showroom. Experienced importers plan this topping-off as deliberately as the flooring itself.
Weighing, VGM and staying legal at the port
Since the SOLAS rules took effect, every export container needs a Verified Gross Mass declared before it can be loaded onto a vessel, and a heavy cargo like SPC is exactly what the rule was written for. The factory side manages this as routine: accurate box weights, a load plan that respects the container's payload rating, and weighbridge confirmation. Your side of the discipline is the destination: know your country's road weight limits, which can be stricter than the container's rating, so a legally shipped box does not become an illegal truck.
Arrival day: plan the unload before the ship sails
A loaded container is planned in Gaziantep, but the unload happens in your yard. Decide early whether you will unload at a warehouse with a dock and forklift or at kerbside by hand, because palletised cargo and hand-unloading do not mix well. Confirm how long you can hold the container before demurrage and detention charges start, and book labour for the arrival window. Flooring should go from container to flat, dry, covered storage the same day. The smoothest imports are the ones where arrival day was planned at order time.
Talk to MILAT Floor
Samples, specifications, OEM & private label, wholesale or export — our team is ready.