Devanning
Devanning (also called unstuffing or stripping) is the process of unloading cargo from a shipping container, typically removing floor-loaded goods piece by piece from an ocean container and placing them on pallets or a warehouse floor. A 40 foot container packed floor to ceiling can take a team of four workers three to five hours to fully devan and palletize.
Why it matters
Devanning is labor-intensive and slow, often requiring specialized equipment or lumper services. Delays in devanning are a primary trigger for demurrage charges at ports and intermodal facilities. Lumper costs for devanning alone can run $300 to $600 per container, adding significant expense to the landed cost of imported goods.
When to use it
Plan for devanning time and labor whenever you are receiving floor-loaded ocean containers. Underestimating the time required is a common cause of detention, demurrage, and downstream distribution delays. If you import more than 10 containers per month, establish a dedicated devan schedule with pre-booked labor to avoid bottlenecks at the dock.
How Warp thinks about it
Warp's network picks up at cross-docks and DCs after devanning is complete. Shippers who palletize quickly after devanning can hand freight to Warp for rapid onward distribution across its active lane network. Per-pallet pricing makes it simple to cost out the onward move the moment devanning is done, with no need to reweigh or reclassify the freight.
Frequently asked questions about devanning
What is devanning?
Devanning (also called unstuffing or stripping) is the process of unloading cargo from a shipping container, typically removing floor-loaded goods piece by piece from an ocean container and placing them on pallets or a warehouse floor. A 40 foot container packed floor to ceiling can take a team of four workers three to five hours to fully devan and palletize.
Why does devanning matter in freight?
Devanning is labor-intensive and slow, often requiring specialized equipment or lumper services. Delays in devanning are a primary trigger for demurrage charges at ports and intermodal facilities. Lumper costs for devanning alone can run $300 to $600 per container, adding significant expense to the landed cost of imported goods.
When should you use devanning?
Plan for devanning time and labor whenever you are receiving floor-loaded ocean containers. Underestimating the time required is a common cause of detention, demurrage, and downstream distribution delays. If you import more than 10 containers per month, establish a dedicated devan schedule with pre-booked labor to avoid bottlenecks at the dock.
How does Warp handle devanning?
Warp's network picks up at cross-docks and DCs after devanning is complete. Shippers who palletize quickly after devanning can hand freight to Warp for rapid onward distribution across its active lane network. Per-pallet pricing makes it simple to cost out the onward move the moment devanning is done, with no need to reweigh or reclassify the freight.