Container Loading Checklist (Excel)

Free Tool · No credit card · Excel format Container Loading Checklist (Excel) The 63 checks that decide whether your order leaves China intact: container condition, carton count against the packing list, dunnage and weight distribution, the photo set, and the seal record — in one ready-to-use workbook. Get the Free Excel Checklist How it worksWork it in 3 steps 1 Check the container Section A: 13 checks before a single carton goes in — moisture, roof and wall holes, floor condition, door gaskets, residue, pests. 2 Count and watch the load Sections B–D: documents and markings, carton count against the packing list, carton condition, dunnage and weight distribution as it goes in. 3 Seal and record it Sections E–F: the 10-photo minimum set, the container and seal record, the tally sheet and what you send the buyer the same day. What's insideSealed containers prove nothing When the doors close, everything inside is your problem. Shortages, crushed cartons and mixed SKUs loaded at the last minute are the failures a pre-shipment inspection cannot catch, because when the inspector finished the goods were still on the factory floor. Loading supervision is the last control point before the goods become a claim — and the container and seal record is the document you rely on afterwards. What the workbook covers (6 sections · 63 checks) Section What you are checking Lines A. Container conditionDry floor, no roof or wall holes, sound floor, door gaskets, no residue or odour, no pests — before anything is loaded13 B. Documents & markingsPacking list, shipping marks, side marks, barcodes, carton dimensions and weights, export documents, VGM10 C. Cargo verificationPhysical carton count, units per carton, carton condition, accessories, damaged cartons set aside10 D. Loading processDunnage and voids, overhang, weight distribution, stacking height, pallet securing, moisture control12 E. Photo evidenceThe 10-photo minimum set from empty container to sealed doors, plus damaged-carton photos10 F. Closing & handoverSeal number, tally signature, discrepancy notice to the buyer, documents to the forwarder, cut-off met8 Container & seal record A fill-in sheet for container number, seal number, booking and B/L, with a carton tally that totals itself. Defect log One row per problem found during loading: what, how many cartons, photo file, action, and whether the buyer must decide. Drop-down ratings Every line rates PASS / FAIL / N-A from a drop-down, with a column for the note or photo reference. Printable on site. Loading FAQFrequently asked questions What is a container loading checklist? It is the list of checks a loading supervisor works through while your goods go into a container: container condition (dry, sound, clean, pest-free), carton count against the packing list, carton condition, dunnage and weight distribution, the photo evidence set, and the container and seal numbers. It is the last control point before the goods become a claim. Why check the container before loading instead of after? Because once the doors are sealed, everything inside is the buyer's problem. A leaking roof, a damp floor or a failed door gasket turns cartons soft and mouldy in transit — and the carrier will not accept a claim for damage that existed before loading. Ten minutes of checks prevents a whole container of unsellable goods. Who should do the container loading inspection? Someone who does not report to the production line — a third-party inspector, your sourcing agent's QC team, or a loading supervisor hired by the buyer. The factory's own staff can load, but whoever signs the tally sheet and the container record should be independent, because that signed record is what you rely on if the count or the condition is disputed. How long does container loading supervision take? A 20ft or 40ft container is normally loaded in one to three hours. Loading supervision in China covers the container condition check before loading, the count as cartons go in, the photo set and the seal record after closing — typically half a working day on site including travel. What photos should be taken during container loading? The minimum set: the empty container from all four sides plus roof and floor, the container number plate, the carton markings close-up, the load at one-third, one-half and two-thirds full, the final full load with the doors still open, and the doors closed with the seal fitted so the seal number is readable. Any damaged carton should be photographed before it is moved. Loading supervision vs pre-shipment inspection — what is the difference? A pre-shipment inspection checks the quality of the goods — the AQL sample, function, appearance, labels and packaging — while the goods are still on the factory floor. Loading supervision checks the container and the loading: that the right cartons, in the right quantity and condition, go into a sound container, and that the seal number is recorded. Buyers who care about shortage claims do both. What if the carton count does not match the packing list? Stop loading and resolve it before the doors close: either the missing cartons are found in the warehouse, or they were never produced, or they shipped on an earlier container. The buyer must be told the same day, in writing, with photos of the staged cartons and the actual number loaded — because once the container is sealed, a shortage is almost impossible to prove later. Download the free checklist Enter your details and the Excel file will download automatically. We only use your email to send sourcing resources — no spam. Thanks! Your loading checklist is on its way. Loaded containers are the last place a shortage can still be caught. If a shipment is going out in the next few weeks, send us the loading date and city — we can supervise it and send you the photo set and tally the same day. Ask about loading supervision Get a QC quote Prefer to talk? Chat on WhatsApp — free QC quote within 12 h. Free quote Get a pre-shipment inspection quote Your figures are ready to send — reply within 12 hours with a factory price and a freight estimate. No obligation. Your numbers Get my quote Get factory prices on WhatsApp Next step Loaded it. Now check the goods Loading supervision protects the shipment. These are the tools that protect the quality of what is inside it. AQL Sampling Table How many units to inspect and how many defects are allowed — ISO 2859-1 in a ready-to-use workbook. Get the table Inspection Report Template The fill-in report: 6 checkpoints, defect log, photo index and a signed PASS/FAIL. Get the template Factory Audit Checklist 84 checks to run before you send a deposit — licences, capacity, QC, materials, safety and red flags. Open the checklist Why is this loading checklist free? Because it is the list our own loading supervisors work from at factories, consolidation warehouses and the ports of Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Every line is something we have seen go wrong on a real shipment — a damp container floor, a count copied from the packing list, a seal number written down wrongly. Source and date: published by the QC team at Sourcing Agent China, Guangzhou; last reviewed in September 2026. The team has worked 12 years in the Pearl River Delta, verified 2,000+ suppliers and handled shipments for 3,000+ buyers. Would you rather we supervised the loading? Our QC team checks the container before loading, counts cartons at the door, photographs the load and records the seal number — you get the photo set and the tally the same day. Send us the loading date and location for a quote within 12 hours. Get a loading quote in 12 h See the QC inspection service See all our free sourcing tools