Short-term storage goes smoothly when the facility knows exactly what’s coming and when it’s leaving. Most problems — refused receipts, extra handling charges, slow releases — come from details nobody mentioned up front.
DETAILS THE FACILITY WILL ASK FOR
- Pallet count, dimensions (length × width × height) and weight
- Whether pallets can be stacked, and how high
- Commodity, and whether any of it is hazmat, food, high value or temperature-sensitive
- How it arrives: palletized on a trailer, floor-loaded, or in a container
- How long it will stay, even if it’s an estimate
- How and when it leaves: your carrier, a carrier LOAD X arranges, or customer pickup
PREPARE THE PALLETS
- Wrap pallets so they are stable and square; leaning pallets may need a restack before storage
- Label each pallet with a reference number and count
- Keep damaged pallets separate and photograph them
- Put the BOL and any packing list with the shipment
PLAN THE RELEASE
Ask how much notice the facility needs to release freight and what paperwork or release number it needs from you. If the freight will leave in pieces, say so, since partial releases take more handling.
TEMPERATURE-CONTROLLED FREIGHT
Give the exact range, not just “cold”. Chilled and frozen facilities are different, and some product has food-grade or other requirements. See cold storage.
Need storage now? Send a request with these details and LOAD X sources a facility that fits. More on freight storage.