Your container has arrived in Hamburg. Between the ship and your warehouse there are a handful of steps, and most delays happen because one of them was not ready in time. This is the order they run in, and what you can prepare.
1. The container is discharged and released
After the vessel is unloaded, the box sits at the terminal: Altenwerder (CTA), Burchardkai (CTB), Tollerort (CTT) or Eurogate. Before a truck can collect it, two things must be in place:
- Commercial release by the shipping line. Usually the freight is paid and the bill of lading has been handed over or surrendered. You or your forwarder then get a release reference for this container.
- Customs status. Either the goods are cleared for free circulation, or they leave the port under a transit document (T1) to be cleared inland.
If either is missing, the terminal will not hand the container over, however early the truck arrives.
2. The slot is booked
All Hamburg container terminals have used mandatory truck slot booking since November 2017. Each pickup needs a booked time window, and trucks inside their window are handled first. Your haulier books the slot once the release is confirmed. A truck that misses its window loses priority, so a realistic slot matters more than an early one.
3. The truck collects and drives to you
On the road, two limits matter:
- Weight. A standard articulated truck in Germany may weigh up to 40 tonnes. For containers of up to 45 feet carried in combined transport, § 34 paragraph 6 number 6 StVZO allows 44 tonnes with a three-axle tractor. Whether your move counts as combined transport depends on the route, so ask before the box is booked.
- Axle loads. Heavy 20 foot containers often overload one axle before the total is reached, especially when the cargo sits towards one end.
Our container weight check shows how heavy the loaded box may be with a given truck.
4. Unloading at your site
Agree in advance whether the container is unloaded while the truck waits (the usual case) or dropped and collected later. Waiting time beyond the agreed free time is charged, so tell the haulier how long unloading really takes.
5. The empty goes back
The unloaded container returns to the depot the shipping line names, not necessarily the terminal it came from. Return it within the free days. If it stays out longer, the line charges detention, and if it waited too long at the terminal before pickup, demurrage. These charges come from the shipping line, not the haulier.
What to send for a quote
- Container number and size type
- Terminal and release reference
- Customs status
- Delivery address and time window
- Gross weight from the bill of lading
With these five points a haulier can give you a fixed price and book a realistic slot. If one is still open, say so: a quote can be prepared while the release is pending.