FIG 07 / CONTAINER SPECIALISTS
Container Loading & Unloading
Minutes From Port Houston
Need container loading or unloading in Houston? We are 10 minutes from Port Houston, which saves most importers $200 to $400 per container in drayage before we touch a single carton. Floor-loaded devanning, destuffing, and palletized export loading, with 24 to 48 hour turnaround so demurrage never starts.
GET A QUOTE
Get Your Container Services Quote
Tell us about your needs and we'll put together a custom quote.
AT THE DOCK
From Container to Shelf
We handle the heavy lifting: unloading, sorting, counting, inspecting, and palletizing every container shipment, then shelving it for fulfillment or loading it straight back out.
You do not need to be in Texas to use our container unloading services. Most of the importers we unload for are brands in California, the Northeast, and the Midwest that route Asia or Europe containers through Port Houston because it is the shortest ocean gateway to the middle of the country. The container lands here, we destuff it ten minutes from the terminal, and the goods ship to customers from Houston instead of riding an inland truck lane first.
10 min
FROM PORT HOUSTON
24-48hr
AVG TURNAROUND
Live
UNLOAD AVAILABLE
Drop
TRAILERS ACCEPTED
WHAT WE DO
Container Services
Full-service container handling for importers and exporters.
FIG 01
DEVANNING & DESTUFFING
Expert unloading of floor-loaded containers, also called destuffing. We palletize, sort, count, and shrink wrap according to your specifications.
FIG 02
CONTAINER LOADING
Export and outbound container loading, palletized or floor-loaded, blocked and braced to a load plan, with seal photos and the gross weight for your VGM.
FIG 03
CROSS-DOCKING
Transfer goods directly from inbound containers to outbound trucks with minimal storage time and maximum efficiency.
FIG 04
HEAVY LIFT
Specialized equipment and trained crew for handling oversized, overweight, or awkwardly shaped items.
WHY ASFAR
Avoid Demurrage & Detention
The clock starts the day your container is discharged. Port Houston terminals allow a few free days, then demurrage typically runs $150 to $300 per container per day, and once the box leaves the terminal, chassis and container detention add $75 to $150 a day until the empty is returned. Our container team unloads on arrival and returns empties the same or next day, which is where most of the savings come from.
24 to 48 Hour Average Turnaround
Most containers are unloaded and processed within 24 to 48 hours of arrival.
Live Unload Capabilities
Driver waits while we unload. No drop-off fees or return trips needed.
Drop Trailers Accepted
Leave your trailer and we'll unload it on our schedule for maximum flexibility.
Receiving Reports
Detailed count, photos, and condition reports for every container we process.
Got a container coming in?
Tell us your container size, contents, and timeline, and we will schedule your unload.
UNLOAD DAY
What Happens When Your Container Arrives
Container unloading is six steps, and every one of them is documented in the Asfar Portal so you can watch a box in Houston from a desk in Los Angeles or New Jersey.
STEP 01
TERMINAL PICKUP
Your drayage carrier or ours pulls the container at Port Houston. Our dock is 10 minutes away, so the driver is not burning hours in traffic on your bill.
STEP 02
DOCK CHECK-IN
We verify the seal against the bill of lading, photograph the seal and doors, and log the container number before anything is opened.
STEP 03
UNLOAD
Palletized boxes come off by forklift in 1 to 2 hours. Floor-loaded containers are destuffed carton by carton onto pallets, 2 to 4 hours for a 40ft high cube.
STEP 04
COUNT & INSPECT
Piece count against the packing list, damage photographed and quarantined, discrepancies flagged the same day so you can file claims while the evidence is fresh.
STEP 05
PALLETIZE & LABEL
Cartons sorted by SKU, stacked to your pallet spec, shrink wrapped, and license-plate labeled so the inventory is scannable the moment it hits a rack.
STEP 06
REPORT & RELEASE
You get the receiving report with counts and photos, the empty goes back to the terminal before detention starts, and the goods move to storage, cross-dock, or FBA prep.
HOW WE RECEIVE
Container Unloading Services, Four Ways
Most container unloading services in Houston offer one option: drop it and wait. Ten minutes from the terminal, we can run the box live, take a drop, rework a load that shifted at sea, or load your export the same day. Pick the one that fits the container, not the one that fits the warehouse.
FIG 01
LIVE UNLOAD
Driver waits at the dock while we empty the box, 1 to 2 hours palletized, 2 to 4 hours floor-loaded. The chassis goes straight back to the port and you pay no drop fee.
FIG 02
DROP & PICK UP
Driver drops the container in our yard, we unload on our schedule and call for the empty. Best for floor-loaded 40ft high cubes and late-day terminal pickups.
FIG 03
LOAD REWORK
Restack shifted pallets, rebuild mixed pallets by SKU, replace wrap and corner boards, and re-label to a retailer routing guide before the load goes back out.
FIG 04
EXPORT LOADING
Palletized or floor-loaded container loading for outbound freight, with blocking, bracing, and a load plan that uses the cube instead of wasting it.
LIVE UNLOAD VS DROP
What Is a Live Unload?
A live unload means the truck driver stays at the dock while the container is emptied, then leaves with the empty box on the same chassis. It is the opposite of a drop, where the driver leaves the container in the yard and a truck comes back for it later.
Live unloads save the drop fee and a second drayage move, but the clock is on the driver. Most carriers allow about two hours of free time at the dock before detention starts, which is why we quote a live unload at 1 to 2 hours for a palletized container and 2 to 4 hours for a floor-loaded one, and why we steer floor-loaded 40ft high cubes with mixed SKUs toward a drop instead.
Ten minutes from the terminal, the same driver can often run a live unload here and still make a second pull at Port Houston in the same shift, which is the cheapest container unloading you can buy: no drop, no yard time, no detention.
| LIVE UNLOAD | DROP AND PICK UP | |
|---|---|---|
| Who waits | The driver stays at the dock and leaves with the empty on the same chassis. | The driver leaves the container in our yard and a truck comes back for the empty. |
| Time at our dock | 1 to 2 hours palletized, 2 to 4 hours floor-loaded. | Unloaded on our schedule, usually the same day it lands. |
| Fees | No drop fee and no second drayage move. Driver detention applies only if the unload runs past the carrier's free time. | A drop fee and a second drayage move for the empty, but no driver detention risk. |
| Best for | Palletized boxes, morning terminal pulls, and weeks when chassis are scarce. | Floor-loaded 40ft high cubes, late-day arrivals, and mixed-SKU loads that need sorting. |
BEYOND THE CONTAINER
Freight and Trailer Unloading Services in Texas
Not everything arrives in an ocean container. The crew that destuffs containers also unloads 53ft dry vans, floor-loaded trucks, and LTL deliveries from suppliers across Texas and the rest of the country, with the same piece count and photo report. If you do not have a dock, a forklift, or people to spare when the truck shows up, have the freight delivered to us instead.
FIG 01
53FT TRAILERS & FLOOR LOADS
Dry van trailers unloaded by forklift when palletized and by hand when floor-loaded, with loose cartons sorted by SKU onto pallets, wrapped, and labeled the day the truck arrives.
FIG 02
LTL & MULTI-SUPPLIER INBOUND
Partial loads from several vendors received against your purchase orders and counted into one inventory record, so you see what actually arrived instead of what the packing slips claim.
FIG 03
FOOD & FDA-REGULATED FREIGHT
Packaged food, supplements, and cosmetics unloaded into our FDA-registered, climate-controlled facility, with lot numbers and expiration dates captured at receiving. Ambient only, no refrigerated or frozen loads.
FIG 04
OUTSOURCED UNLOADING
No dock, no forklift, or no crew to spare? Route the freight to our Houston dock instead. We unload, check, and palletize it, then store it, ship from it, or deliver it on a liftgate truck.
Every inbound load, container or trailer, gets the same paperwork: a piece count against the bill of lading, damage photographed at the dock, and a receiving report in the Asfar Portal the same day. That record is what makes outsourced unloading work for importers, distributors, and food brands who are not standing at the dock when the doors open. Food, supplement, and cosmetic freight is handled under the lot tracking and storage conditions described on our FDA registered warehousing page, and product that needs a cooler or a freezer belongs at a cold-chain dock. Anything that has to go back out after the unload can ride our last mile delivery trucks.
OUTBOUND
Container Loading Services in Houston
Container loading is the other half of the dock. Exporters shipping out of Port Houston, brands consolidating LTL freight into one ocean container, and importers reloading reworked freight all use the same crew and equipment that unload the inbound boxes.
FIG 01
PALLETIZED EXPORT LOADING
Pallets loaded to a plan that fills the cube without exceeding axle or gross weight limits, wrapped, blocked and braced, with the seal photographed before the doors close.
FIG 02
FLOOR-LOADED STUFFING
Cartons hand-stacked to the ceiling for goods that ship without pallets. More cartons per container, longer at the dock: 3 to 5 hours for a 40ft high cube.
FIG 03
LTL CONSOLIDATION
Inbound truckloads from several suppliers received, staged, and stuffed into one container for an export booking or a single domestic move.
FIG 04
RELOAD AFTER REWORK
Shifted or rejected freight restacked, re-labeled, and loaded back out to the retailer routing guide, usually the same day it comes in.
Every container loading job produces a load plan, a piece count, seal and door photos, and a signed bill of lading, so you can prove what went into the box if a claim comes up at the destination. For export bookings we provide the loaded gross weight for your Verified Gross Mass declaration, so the container does not get rolled at the terminal, and we load to your cutoff rather than to our convenience. If the freight arrives on several inbound trucks, we receive and stage it, then stuff one container once the last piece is in.
RATES
Container Unloading Rates in Houston
Typical pricing for standard cartons under 50 lb. Mixed-SKU floor loads, oversized items, and heavy lift are quoted after we see the packing list, and we confirm the rate before the box is pulled from the terminal.
| SERVICE | TYPICAL RATE | TURNAROUND |
|---|---|---|
| Palletized container unload (20ft or 40ft) | Quoted per container | 1 to 2 hours live |
| Floor-loaded destuffing, 20ft | Quoted per container | Same day |
| Floor-loaded destuffing, 40ft and 40ft HQ | Quoted per container | Same day, 2 to 4 hours live |
| Palletizing and shrink wrap | Included with destuffing, pallets billed at cost | With the unload |
| Count, inspection, and photo receiving report | Included | Same day |
| Load rework and restacking | Quoted per pallet | Most jobs same day |
| Cross-dock, unload straight to outbound | Unload rate plus outbound handling, no storage fee | 24 to 48 hours |
| Export container loading | Quoted by cube and pallet count | Scheduled to your booking |
Storage after the unload runs $20 to $30 per pallet per month, and FBA prep or direct parcel orders pick from the same pallets, so an unload quote and a fulfillment quote come from one place. Send us the container number and we will price the box before it lands.
CONTAINER TYPES
We Handle All Container Types
No container is too big or too complex for our team.
20ft
Standard 20-foot containers for smaller shipments and partial loads.
40ft
Standard 40-foot containers for full-size import and export shipments.
40ft HQ
High-cube 40-foot containers with extra height for oversized or voluminous cargo.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions About Container Services
Q01
How much does container unloading cost in Houston?
We quote per container based on whether it is floor-loaded or palletized, the carton count, and the weight. Palletized containers come off faster and cost less than floor-loaded ones. Repalletizing, inspection, and prep are priced separately. Send us the container details for a quote before the box lands.
Q02
How close are you to Port Houston?
Less than 10 minutes. Our location at 9100 Galveston Rd saves you $200-400+ per container in drayage costs compared to warehouses farther inland. Your container can be unloaded the same day it arrives at port.
Q03
Can you handle imports from China and other countries?
Yes. We work with brands importing from China, Vietnam, India, and other manufacturing hubs. We coordinate drayage from Port Houston, unload and inspect products, and either prep for FBA or store for DTC fulfillment, all under one roof.
Q04
Do you offer cross-dock services?
Yes. Products that don't need storage can go straight from container to customer or Amazon. We unload, inspect, prep, and ship immediately, with no monthly storage fees.
Q05
What container sizes do you handle?
All standard sizes: 20ft, 40ft, and 40ft High Cube. Floor-loaded or palletized. 24 to 48 hour turnaround to help you avoid demurrage and detention fees.
Q06
What is container destuffing, and is it different from devanning?
They are the same job under two names. Destuffing and devanning both mean emptying a floor-loaded container by hand, carton by carton, then sorting, counting, and palletizing the contents. Freight forwarders tend to say destuffing, warehouses tend to say devanning. We provide container destuffing services at our Houston warehouse 10 minutes from Port Houston, with verified piece counts and photo condition reports on every container.
Q07
Do you offer live unload, or do I have to drop the container?
Both. On a live unload the driver waits while we empty the container, usually 1 to 2 hours palletized and 2 to 4 hours floor-loaded, so the chassis goes straight back to Port Houston with no drop fee. On a drop, the driver leaves the container in our yard, we unload on our schedule, then call for pickup. Drop works better for floor-loaded 40ft high cubes and late-day arrivals.
Q08
Can you rework or restack a load that shifted in transit?
Yes. Load rework covers restacking leaned or collapsed pallets, rebuilding mixed pallets by SKU, replacing stretch wrap and corner boards, and re-labeling to a retailer routing guide before it ships again. Quoted per pallet, most jobs turn the same day.
Q09
Do you handle container drop off and pick up from Port Houston?
Yes. We coordinate drayage so the loaded container is picked up at the terminal, dropped at our dock 10 minutes away, and the empty is returned before detention starts. Use your own drayage carrier or ours. This close to the port, one driver can often cycle two containers in the time an inland warehouse takes for one.
Q10
Do I need to be in Houston to use your container unloading services?
No. Most of the importers we unload for are based in California, the Northeast, or the Midwest and route their containers through Port Houston because it is the shortest ocean gateway to the middle of the country. We receive the container, destuff and palletize it, send you the receiving report, and then store the inventory, ship it to your customers or retailer DCs, or forward it to your own warehouse. You manage all of it in the Asfar Portal without visiting Texas.
Q11
How much does demurrage cost at Port Houston, and how do you help avoid it?
After the terminal's free days, demurrage typically runs $150 to $300 per container per day, and chassis and container detention add roughly $75 to $150 per day once the box leaves the terminal. Because our dock is 10 minutes from the port, we pull the container inside the free window, unload it the day it arrives, and return the empty the same or next day, so most clients never see either charge.
Q12
What is a live unload?
A live unload is when the truck driver waits at the dock while the container is emptied, then leaves with the empty on the same chassis. It avoids the drop fee and the second drayage trip a drop requires. At our Houston dock a live unload takes 1 to 2 hours for a palletized container and 2 to 4 hours for a floor-loaded one, which keeps most live unloads inside the driver's free time before detention starts.
Q13
How long does it take to unload a 40ft container?
A palletized 40ft container comes off by forklift in 1 to 2 hours. A floor-loaded 40ft or 40ft high cube, where cartons are stacked loose to the ceiling, takes 2 to 4 hours to destuff, count, and palletize depending on carton count and weight. Mixed-SKU loads that need sorting run toward the top of that range, which is why we suggest a drop rather than a live unload for those containers.
Q14
What does your container loading service include?
The load plan, staging, palletized or floor-loaded stuffing, blocking and bracing, a piece count, seal and door photos, and the gross weight for your Verified Gross Mass declaration. Export bookings are loaded to your cutoff, and we can receive LTL freight from several suppliers and consolidate it into one container.
Q15
Do you unload trailers and LTL freight, or only ocean containers?
Both. The same crew that destuffs containers unloads 53ft dry van trailers, floor-loaded trucks, and LTL deliveries. Palletized freight comes off by forklift, floor-loaded cartons are sorted by SKU onto pallets, and every load gets a piece count against the bill of lading and a photo receiving report the same day.
Q16
Do you offer food industry unloading services?
Yes, for packaged food and other shelf-stable product. Food, supplement, and cosmetic freight is unloaded into our FDA-registered, climate-controlled facility in Houston, with lot numbers and expiration dates captured at receiving so every unit stays traceable. We do not run refrigerated or frozen storage, so chilled and frozen loads should go to a cold-chain facility.
Q17
Can I outsource freight unloading if I do not have a dock or a crew?
Yes. Have the freight delivered to our Houston dock instead of yours. We unload it, count it against the bill of lading, photograph any damage, and palletize it, then store it, ship orders from it, or deliver it to you on a liftgate or box truck. Unloading is priced in the receiving quote up front.