Two containers of the same size and the same goods can take wildly different amounts of labour depending on how they were loaded.
Palletised
Fast, predictable, easier on people. Needs a forklift, a level approach and somewhere to put pallets. Fewer hands, shorter window.
Hand-stacked
Maximises what fits in the container, which is why shippers do it. Costs you at the other end: every carton is lifted, carried and stacked by a person. More people, longer window, and genuine fatigue management in hot weather.
What to do about it
Find out before you book. If you are ordering regularly from the same supplier, the conversation about palletising is worth having — it moves cost from your warehouse to their loading dock.
If you do not know
Tell us, and we will plan for the harder case so the job is not short-handed.
Need this done in Perth?
Tell us the job and we'll give you a straight answer on what it takes.