Freight is usually the second-largest line in a public-furniture budget, after the furniture itself. The two variables that move it most are how densely a container loads and how much damage happens between the factory gate and the site.
This page covers the Incoterms we quote, how each product type is packed, what documents travel with the shipment, and what the receiving site needs to have ready.
Incoterms we quote
We quote FOB (buyer nominates the forwarder; we deliver to the port and load) or CIF (we arrange freight and insurance to your destination port). Both are quoted per project; we do not publish freight rates because they move with the sailing schedule.
Whichever term applies, responsibility for unloading at destination sits with the receiver unless a delivery-to-site service is quoted separately.
Container loading by product type
| Product type | Packing method | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Park benches | Frames nest; slats pack flat in bundles | Highest density of the range; slat bundles are the last thing to load |
| Picnic tables | Top and frame separated, braced | Needs two people to reassemble; fixings bagged per table |
| Litter bins and recycling stations | Body nested, liners and lids boxed separately | Liner boxes are easy to lose — check the packing list against the box count |
| Planters | Nested where the profile allows, else crated | Tapered planters nest well; square planters ship crated |
| Bike racks and bollards | Bundled by model, hardware boxed | Anchoring kits ship separately from the units they belong to |
Units per container are confirmed per model from the packing list; we do not publish per-model loading estimates until that data is confirmed.
Transit times by destination
Transit is a chain of three legs, and each leg is determined by different parties — which is why we state transit on the quotation rather than publishing a fixed table:
| Leg | What determines it | What we commit at quotation |
|---|---|---|
| Production | Model mix, finish, galvanizing scope, season | The production window for your order — Pending factory confirmation as a standard figure |
| Ocean | Port pair, sailing frequency, carrier schedule, season | A transit estimate from the carrier booking, not from a published table |
| Inland at destination | Haulage distance, port congestion, unloading arrangements | Quoted via your forwarder, or as a delivery-to-site line where offered |
Ocean schedules move with the season, so a destination table on a website would be out of date before it was indexed — the quotation is the source of record.
Documents and customs
The shipment travels with a commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and certificate of origin. Where the destination requires it, we provide fumigation or heat-treatment certification for timber packaging, and material certificates for the steel grades used.
Buyers importing for the first time should confirm the destination's tariff classification for each product type before the order is placed — the classification drives duty, and it is easier to correct on a quotation than at the port.
Receiving and unloading
A container of benches is heavy and the load is not palletised for forklift access in every case. Confirm before arrival that the site has a forklift or a crane with the right capacity, or that the container can be unloaded by hand in bundles.
Inspect on arrival, before signing: photograph any crushed carton, bent frame or missing bundle, and note it on the delivery receipt. Damage noted after the container leaves the site is difficult to attribute and therefore difficult to claim.
Installation and anchoring
Fixing method is decided by the substrate, not by the product: surface-mounted base plates with expansion anchors suit existing paved slabs, while embedded legs set into new concrete footings resist levering and suit lawns. Both kits ship with stainless fasteners.
For a written comparison of the two methods by substrate type, see our anchoring specification guide.
Frequently asked questions
How long does delivery take from China?+
The production window is confirmed per project at quotation stage — we do not publish a standard figure. Sea transit is quoted separately and depends on port pair and sailing schedule, so the figures that apply to your order are stated on the quotation.
Can you deliver to site rather than to port?+
CIF delivery is to the destination port. Delivery to site, including inland haulage and unloading, can be quoted as a separate line where the destination has a reliable haulier.
How are benches packed?+
Frames nest and slats pack flat in bundles. That gives the highest container density in the range and keeps the slat bundles accessible for unloading.
What documents come with the shipment?+
Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and certificate of origin. Fumigation or heat-treatment certification for timber packaging, and material certificates for steel grades, are provided where required.
Who unloads the container?+
The receiver, unless delivery-to-site with unloading is quoted. Confirm forklift or crane capacity before arrival — a container of benches is not a hand-unload job in every configuration.
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Tell us the site, the quantity and any dimensional constraint. Our engineers reply with a specification and price within one working day.
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