One of the most expensive mistakes first-time aluminum importers make is ordering standard 6,000 mm (6.00 m) extrusion bars for a 20-foot standard ocean container—only to discover at loading that a 20' Dry Container measures just 5,898 mm internally. Diagonal loading wastes 45% of container volume and risks bending hollow profiles. Here is how our Gebze export terminal engineers every shipment for maximum cube utilization and lowest landed freight cost per kilogram.
1. Why 6.00m Aluminum Bars Cannot Fit Straight Inside a 20' Container
ISO ocean containers and European curtain-side road trailers have fixed internal clearances:
- 20' Dry Standard Container (20' DC): Internal length is 5.89 m (19'4"); door opening width is 2.34 m. A 6.00 m timber-crated bundle simply cannot enter horizontally.
- 40' High Cube Container (40' HC): Internal length is 12.03 m (39'5"); height is 2.69 m. This comfortably accommodates two longitudinal end-to-end stacks of 6.00 m crated bundles (total 12.00 m with timber end caps calibrated to 11.96 m).
- 13.60m European Curtain-Side TIR: Side curtains slide fully open for overhead crane or side-forklift loading of 6.00 m pallets in either LTL groupage (from 300 kg) or 24-ton FTL truckloads.
2. Choosing 5,800 mm vs. 6,000 mm Bars Without Increasing Scrap
For ocean importers in the USA, Canada, UK, Gulf/MENA, West Africa, and Australia ordering 8 to 14 metric tons, shipping a half-empty 40' container inflates ocean freight per kg. Instead, we hot-saw extrude your order at 5,800 mm (5.80 m / 228.3") at zero extra cutting charge:
- Door & Patio Height Yield: Two standard patio door stiles (
2 × 2,200 mm = 4,400 mm) plus one top/bottom rail (1,350 mm) total5,750 mm—giving identical >97% cutting yield on a 5.80 m bar as on a 6.00 m bar! - Window Yield: Four standard window stiles (
4 × 1,400 mm = 5,600 mm) nest into a 5.80 m bar with minimal offcut.
3. Container & Euro-Truck Tonnage / Bundle Capacity Matrix
| Transport Unit | Optimal Bar Length | Net Aluminum Payload | Approx. Bundles | Best Regions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Road LTL Mixed Pallet |
6,000 mm |
300 – 1,500 kg |
22 – 105 Bundles |
EU, UK, Balkans, Iraq, Georgia |
20' Dry Container (20' DC) |
5,800 mm |
8,000 – 14,500 kg |
550 – 1,050 Bundles |
USA, Canada, UAE, Africa, AU |
40' High Cube (40' HC) |
6,000 mm (×2 Stacks) |
16,500 – 26,500 kg |
1,150 – 1,900 Bundles |
Global Deep-Sea Distributors |
13.60m Euro-Truck FTL |
6,000 mm |
18,000 – 24,000 kg |
1,250 – 1,700 Bundles |
Germany, France, NL, PL, RO, IT |
4. ISPM-15 Timber Cradle Packaging & Zero-Scratch Protection
Hollow insect screen extrusions can crush if strapped bare. Every export pallet leaves our Gebze plant protected by four layers: low-tack UV-stable PE film on visible faces, craft-paper/foam bundle wrapping, ISPM-15 stamped heat-treated wooden timber cradles spaced every 1.1 meters, and heavy tensioned steel/PET strapping—compliant with strict US USDA, Canadian CFIA, and Australian DAFF biosecurity rules.
5. Zero-Duty Customs Documentation (ATR, EUR.1, UK-FTA)
Explore country-specific transit schedules and tariff exemptions on our Global Export & Logistics Hub, including 0% EU customs duty (ATR), 0% UK tariff (UK–Türkiye FTA), and 0% EFTA/Balkan/Georgia duty (EUR.1).