Project Background （Bulk Vessel Shipping Solution for Galvalume and Prepainted Steel Coils to Chile）
In 2026, steel coil buyers in South America faced higher purchasing pressure due to rising sea freight costs and increased logistics uncertainty caused by oil price fluctuations. For many steel coil wholesalers, especially those importing large-volume Galvalume steel coils and Prepainted steel coils, controlling total landed cost became more important than before.
One of our Chilean customers, a steel coil wholesaler, planned to import Galvalume coils and Prepainted steel coils with common roofing and distribution specifications, including:
- Galvalume Steel Coil: 0.27 × 1220 mm
- Prepainted Steel Coil: 0.30 × 1000 mm
To reduce freight cost, the customer accepted bulk vessel shipment instead of container shipment. However, bulk cargo transportation brought new risks during loading, unloading, and vessel storage.
Customer Challenge
Compared with container shipping, bulk vessel shipment is more cost-effective for large-volume orders, but the handling process is usually more difficult to control.
During bulk vessel transportation, steel coils may face several risks:
- Rough handling during loading and unloading
- Packaging damage caused by lifting, moving, and stacking
- Steel coils stacked in more than three layers inside the vessel hold
- Higher pressure on the coil inner core during long-distance transportation
- Coil collapse or deformation after arrival
- Extra loss for wholesalers during local resale or further distribution
For a steel coil wholesaler, coil collapse is not only a product damage issue. It directly affects resale value, warehouse handling, customer delivery, and final market reputation.
The customer needed more than a standard seaworthy package. They needed a packaging solution that could support bulk vessel transportation and reduce the risk of coil deformation.
Our Analysis
After reviewing the customer’s shipping method, coil specifications, and destination market requirements, we found that the key risk was not only moisture protection, but also structural support.
For bulk vessel shipments, the package must be strong enough to resist external impact and vertical pressure when coils are stacked in the ship hold. Standard packaging may be suitable for container shipment, but it is not always enough for bulk cargo conditions.
Therefore, we upgraded the packaging solution in two directions:
- Strengthen the external fixing system to reduce package loosening and damage.
- Reinforce the coil inner core to improve load-bearing capacity during stacking.
Packaging Solution
To reduce packaging damage and coil collapse risk, Witop Material adjusted the packing design for this Chilean bulk shipment.
1. Increased Steel Strapping Quantity
We upgraded the package to a stronger strapping structure:
- 4 longitudinal steel straps
- 4 transverse steel straps
- 8 steel straps in total
This 4+4 strapping design helps keep the coil package tighter and more stable during lifting, vessel loading, unloading, and long-distance transportation.
Compared with lighter packaging, the reinforced strapping structure reduces the possibility of package loosening, edge damage, and outer protection shifting during bulk cargo handling.
2. Spiral Inner Steel Sleeve
To improve the structural strength of the coil inner core, we used a spiral inner steel sleeve instead of a lighter inner protection design.
The spiral inner sleeve provides better support around the coil eye and helps distribute pressure more evenly when coils are stacked in the vessel hold.
3. Inner Core Thickness Increased to Over 3.75 mm
For this bulk vessel shipment, we increased the inner core thickness to more than 3.75 mm.
This reinforcement was designed to improve the coil’s load-bearing capacity and reduce the risk of inner core deformation under stacking pressure.
For thin-gauge coils such as 0.27 mm and 0.30 mm, inner core strength is especially important because the coil body is more sensitive to pressure, impact, and improper handling.
4. Bulk Shipment Packaging Designed Around Real Handling Conditions
Instead of using the same standard package for every shipment, we adjusted the package based on:
- Bulk vessel transportation method
- Coil thickness and width
- Destination market handling conditions
- Stacking pressure inside the vessel hold
- Customer’s resale and distribution requirements
This helped the customer balance freight cost control with safer cargo arrival.
Customer Value
The upgraded packaging solution helped the Chilean customer reduce the major risks of bulk vessel shipping.
For the customer, the value was not only better packaging. It also supported their business in several practical ways:
- Reduced risk of coil collapse during transportation
- Lower possibility of packaging damage during loading and unloading
- Better protection for thin-gauge Galvalume and Prepainted steel coils
- More stable coil condition after arrival
- Fewer disputes with local downstream buyers
- Better confidence when choosing bulk shipment to control freight cost
- Stronger supply chain reliability for wholesale distribution
In a market where freight cost continues to affect steel import decisions, reliable packaging is becoming a key part of total cost control.
Project Summary
This Chile project shows that steel coil packaging should not be treated as a fixed standard item. Different shipping methods require different protection strategies.
For container shipment, standard export packaging may be enough in many cases. But for bulk vessel shipment, especially when steel coils are stacked in multiple layers, stronger strapping and reinforced inner core support are necessary to reduce damage risk.
At Witop Material, we do not only supply Galvalume steel coils and Prepainted steel coils. We also help customers evaluate transportation risks, adjust packaging details, and reduce hidden losses during international shipping.
For wholesalers, distributors, and roofing sheet manufacturers, a reliable packaging solution can protect both product value and customer trust.
Need Steel Coils for Bulk Shipment?
If you are importing Galvalume steel coils, Prepainted steel coils, or roofing sheet materials by bulk vessel, our team can help you review the shipping method, coil specifications, packing structure, and destination handling risks before shipment.
Tell us your steel type, specification, quantity, and destination port. We will provide a practical solution based on your real transportation conditions.