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Ocean freight handling SOP | Folding glass shipping racks
On a long sea or road route, glass damage usually starts with movement or a failed contact surface. This Agrack SOP shows logistics and quality teams how to secure a load through the welded lashing rings, how to inspect the 10 mm steel-cored EPDM protection, and when replacement is mandatory.
For export glass, the risk is not limited to a hard impact. Repeated pitching, braking, vibration, and container movement can turn a small clearance into load shift. Once a sheet bundle moves against a steel edge, scratches, chipped corners, and broken units can follow. The practical objective is to keep the glass seated in its intended position, keep the rack and load restrained as one unit, and prevent any exposed metal from touching the glass.
Agrack is a collapsible glass storage transport rack built around a welded Q235 steel frame, vertical support members, and rubber-lined contact points. Its lashing hooks provide a defined tie-down location rather than forcing a strap around the glass itself. The EPDM protection is mechanically secured with countersunk self-tapping screws and an internal steel plate—not ordinary adhesive. That construction supports inspection and replacement, but it does not make the rack permanently maintenance-free. The following steps should be used with the carrier’s container, road, and cargo-securing requirements.
SOP 1: Route the strap through the lashing rings, not across the glass
Before loading, check that the rack is fully opened, its folding slide-pin positions are locked, the safety pins are inserted, and the front stop block has not been cut or altered. Confirm that the floor, uprights, and lashing hooks are free of deformation, loose welds, sharp burrs, and corrosion that could weaken restraint. Load the glass vertically and evenly against the EPDM-lined supports; keep the intended slight lean and do not exceed the approved rack and load plan. After the bundle is positioned, pass the rated strap through the welded steel lashing rings and tension it against the rack frame. Use independent restraint points on both sides when the load plan calls for them, then recheck tension after the first handling movement. Do not place a strap directly over a glass edge, use the rubber strip as a tie-down anchor, or rely on friction alone. Blocking or dunnage can supplement the straps inside a container, but it is not a substitute for a positive tie-down plan. This arrangement lets the restraint act on the rack while the EPDM remains the glass-to-frame buffer.
Which tie-down option fits the route?
For a standard export movement from a glass line to a container and onward by sea or road, the preferred arrangement is a rated strap connected to Agrack’s welded lashing rings, with container blocking used where the loading plan requires it. This is suitable when the rack, load center, strap angle, and container securing points have been checked by the responsible logistics team. For short internal transfers, the same positive restraint may be reduced only when the site’s written handling procedure permits it and the load is not exposed to public-road braking or ocean motion. For a crane lift, do not improvise with the lashing rings or straps: lifting must use the rack’s designated lifting points and an approved lifting plan, while straps remain for load restraint. For unusually tall, fragile, asymmetric, or oversized glass, a standard arrangement may be unsuitable. Stop and obtain a project-specific securing calculation or carrier approval rather than adding tension until the glass bows or the rack deforms. Agrack’s collapsible design helps return logistics by reducing empty volume, but folded empty racks must be secured as a stack during transport; the space-saving feature does not remove the need for restraint.
SOP 2: Replace EPDM immediately when the steel core is visible
Inspection must cover every glass contact length before loading and after unloading. The replacement trigger is simple: if the internal steel plate or any other metal core is exposed, remove the rack from glass service and replace the strip immediately. Also replace it when the 10 mm EPDM is cut through, torn, crushed flat, missing, hardened, detached, or no longer holds its shape; when a countersunk self-tapping screw is loose or missing; or when a burr, sharp edge, or bent support can reach the glass. Do not paint over exposed steel, glue a loose strip back as a permanent repair, or keep loading because the visible area looks small. Fit a compatible steel-cored EPDM section and mechanically secure it with the specified countersunk self-tapping screws. Verify that fastener heads are seated, the strip is continuous at the contact zone, and no screw tip or steel edge projects toward the glass. Record the inspection, repair date, rack ID, and rejected parts. This is a replaceable protection system—not a promise of permanent zero-maintenance service.
Pre-dispatch and arrival checklist for near-zero damage control
- Position: Glass is centered, evenly supported, seated against continuous EPDM contact surfaces, and within the approved load and lean limits; no glass edge touches bare steel.
- Restraint: Rated straps are connected to the welded lashing rings, tension is checked after handling, and container blocking or dunnage is used only as a planned secondary control.
- Protection: Any visible steel core, torn or hardened 10 mm EPDM, loose screw, missing section, burr, or deformation triggers immediate replacement or quarantine.
- Evidence: Photograph the rack ID, lashing points, strap routing, contact strips, and final container condition before departure and at arrival; investigate any movement instead of simply retensioning.