If you have never opened a shipping container, the first surprise is that it is not a door, it is a pair of 300-kilogram steel panels held shut by four vertical lock rods, and whatever is behind them has been leaning on them for a few thousand kilometres. The second surprise is the seal: a bolt seal that has to be cut, not unlocked. Done in the right order it takes two minutes. Done in the wrong order it can take a finger. This is the sequence our crews use at the dock and at customer deliveries.
What you need
- Bolt cutters (24-inch or longer) for the seal. A hacksaw works but takes a while.
- Gloves. The rods, cams and door edges are rough steel.
- Safety footwear — anything that fell against the doors in transit comes out first.
- Your paperwork: the seal number from the bill of lading or your moving inventory, and a phone to photograph everything.
- A pry bar and some penetrating oil if the container has been sitting outside.
Step by step
- Check the seal before you cut it. Read the number stamped on the seal and compare it to the number on your bill of lading or inventory. Photograph it in place. If it does not match, or is missing, or shows signs of tampering, stop and call whoever shipped it before opening — this is the moment to document a problem, not after.
- Cut the seal. Bolt cutters on the shank of the seal, well clear of your other hand. Keep the cut seal; some claims require it.
- Look at the doors. Container doors are two panels. The right-hand door opens first — it has the overlapping edge and the seal hasp. The left door is held by the right one and cannot open until the right is open.
- Release the right door's lock rods. There are two vertical rods on each door, each with a handle about chest height. Lift the handle's retainer (the small latch or "keeper" that holds it flat against the door), swing the handle out 90 degrees, and rotate it so the cams at the top and bottom of the rod turn out of their keepers. Do the same with the second rod. The door is now unlatched but still closed.
- Stand to the side and open the right door slowly. Stand behind the door's edge, not in front of the opening, and pull it toward you a few centimetres. If the load has shifted against the doors, you will feel the pressure. Let it open a hand's width, check that nothing is about to fall, then swing it fully. Hook it back on its door holder (the small catch on the side of the container) so wind does not slam it.
- Release and open the left door the same way.
- Photograph the load from the doorway before anything is touched. This is your record of how it arrived.
When the door is stuck
Four causes, in order of likelihood:
- The cams did not clear the keepers. The handle is out but the rod did not rotate far enough. Push the handle fully around until you feel the cam clear; sometimes it needs a tap with the heel of your hand.
- The container is not level. On a chassis or uneven ground the frame racks slightly and the doors bind in the frame. Opening the right door first and leaning your weight on the top corner while pulling usually frees it. On a chassis, ask the driver to reposition on flatter ground.
- The gaskets have stuck. After weeks of weather the rubber door seals glue themselves to the frame. Work a pry bar gently along the vertical gap between the doors — never on the hinge side — and the seal will let go.
- The load is pressing on the doors. If the right door opens a few centimetres and stops dead, something heavy is against it. Do not force it. Open it only as far as it goes, look inside with a light, and if a pallet or a piece of furniture is leaning on the door, have the forklift or a second person take the weight before the door comes fully open.
Never stand directly in front of the doors when releasing the last lock rod. A shifted load will push the door open on its own, fast.
On delivery day: what to record
Whether it is your household goods or a commercial consignment, the first ten minutes with the doors open decide any claim. Before unloading, note the seal number and that it matched; photograph the load from the doors; note the condition of the first tier and whether bracing is intact. As items come out, check them off against the inventory and note any damage on the delivery receipt before you sign — "received in good condition" on a signed receipt is hard to walk back. Then unload in reverse order of loading: the braced last metre comes out first, then the tiers, with the heavy centre last. Our container loading and unloading crews work to this checklist on every delivery and send the photos the same day.
Closing it again
If the container is going back loaded, or you are storing in it: close the left door first, then the right; engage the cams by rotating each handle in and pressing it flat until the retainer clicks; and fit a new seal through the right door's hasp if the box is shipping. Record the new seal number. For a container staying on site, a padlock through the hasp or a purpose-made container lockbox is the standard — the lock rods alone are not security.
Need a container unloaded at your site or ours?
Our crews receive, check the seal, photograph, unload and tally against your inventory — at your dock or at our Toronto warehouse.