- Where the shipment is built
- Our own warehouse in Guangzhou
- Shipment weight
- We accept from 50 kg, from 150 kg it pays better to consolidate
- Storage while the shipment is being built
- Free, there is no paid storage at all
- Calculation threshold
- 100 kg/m³ on road routes, on air express there is no threshold
- Routes
- Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Europe
What consolidation is and how it differs from grouping parcels
Grouping parcels is when boxes are put into one vehicle and carried together. Consolidation is when the shipment is rebuilt: places are counted, the cargo is restacked for dense loading, marking is brought to one format, and the output is a single packing list.
The difference shows up in two places. Volume: boxes from different suppliers take up more room than the same goods after restacking. Documents: grouped parcels leave you with five sets of data, a shipment with one.
- Grouping: boxes travel as they are, with their own marking
- Consolidation: the cargo is rebuilt for volume, the marking is unified
- Grouping: discrepancies come to light at goods receipt on your side
- Consolidation: discrepancies are recorded in Guangzhou, before dispatch
Every consignment is received under the standard procedure: piece count, SKU verification, photo report. The order is described on the page warehouse in China.
Why five dispatches cost more than one
Every dispatch carries its own set of fixed costs, and they do not scale with weight. A small dispatch pays under the worst logic: minimum chargeable weight, separate handling and separate paperwork.
- The minimum chargeable weight is applied to each dispatch separately
- Inland delivery within China is paid for by each supplier separately
- Handling and paperwork are charged per dispatch, not per kilogram
- Small places stack worse, so the volumetric weight grows
- Every dispatch runs to its own schedule and needs to be monitored
Five dispatches give five arrival dates. The goods start selling only when the last part arrives, and the receiving warehouse gets five goods receipts instead of one.
| Criterion | Separate dispatches | Consolidation |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum chargeable weight | Applied to each dispatch | Applied once to the shipment |
| Volumetric weight | Grows because of voids in small places | Falls thanks to dense stacking |
| Documents | A set for each dispatch | One set for the shipment |
| Arrival dates | As many dates as dispatches | One date |
| Control of discrepancies | After arrival, at your end | Before dispatch, in Guangzhou |
| Flexibility on timing | Each leaves when it is ready | The shipment waits for readiness or leaves in part |
| Marking | Different for each supplier | A single format across the whole shipment |
Cargo density and volumetric weight
Volumetric weight is the weight calculated from the dimensions of the place rather than on the scales. If the cargo is light and takes up a lot of room, the volume is what gets charged. Cargo density is the ratio of the shipment's actual weight to its volume, and it determines which parameter the freight is charged on.
On road routes the calculation threshold is 100 kg/m³. A shipment denser than that threshold is charged on actual weight, a lighter one on volumetric weight. On air express there is no threshold at all: a place is paid for on volumetric weight, and the conversion coefficient is set by the carrier's rate card on the specific route.
We calculate density on the actual shipment from actual measurements of the places at goods receipt, not from the supplier's figures. So before the shipment is closed it is clear which parameter it will be charged on.
- High density: fasteners, spare parts, tools, liquids, ceramics
- Low density: textiles, packaging, plastics, large boxes
- Mixed shipment: density is calculated across the whole shipment
How consolidation affects volumetric weight
Consolidation and repacking can sometimes reduce unused space and make the shipment more compact. Boxes can be rearranged to fit the pallet footprint and excess air removed from the packaging; if the volume falls, the shipment's density rises.
- We measure and weigh every place at goods receipt
- We calculate the actual density of the shipment from the sum of the places
- We show how repacking changes the volume and the chargeable weight
- We build the shipment the way that works out better overall, not by the per-kg rate
| Indicator | Three separate dispatches | One shipment after consolidation |
|---|---|---|
| Actual weight | 40 + 90 + 20 = 150 kg | 150 kg |
| Volume of the places | 0.9 + 0.3 + 0.5 = 1.7 m³ | 1.1 m³ after restacking |
| Density | 44, 300 and 40 kg/m³ by dispatch | 136 kg/m³ across the whole shipment |
| Which weight it is charged on | Two dispatches on volumetric weight, one on actual weight | On actual weight: density above 100 kg/m³ |
| Chargeable weight | 90 + 90 + 50 = 230 kg | 150 kg |
| Goods receipts at your warehouse | 3 | 1 |
| Arrival dates | 3 | 1 |
| Sets of documents | 3 | 1 |
The difference of 80 kg in chargeable weight does not come from a discount but from density: light places have been filled out with dense ones, air has been taken out of the boxes, and the shipment has crossed the 100 kg/m³ threshold. On top of that comes the weight of the shipment: 150 kg is charged at the rate for a shipment, not at the per-kilogram price for a 50 kg dispatch.
On air express the same example works out differently: there is no threshold, and a place is paid for on volumetric weight using the coefficient from the carrier's rate card on the route. There the effect comes from the direct reduction of volume by 0.6 m³, not from crossing a density threshold.
Light goods are cheaper to carry together with dense ones: density is calculated across the whole shipment.
Shipment weight: 50 kg is the minimum, 150 kg is the benchmark
We accept a shipment from 50 kg. But it pays better to build it from 150 kg: at 50 kg the price per kilogram is noticeably higher, because the fixed costs of a dispatch are divided by a smaller weight.
That is the main argument in favour of consolidation for smaller purchases. Three suppliers of 50 kg each, dispatched separately, all land in the worst zone for price per kilogram. The same three consignments, brought together into one shipment of 150 kg, are charged as a shipment.
- 50 kg: we accept the dispatch, but the price per kilogram is noticeably higher
- 150 kg: the benchmark from which building one shipment is noticeably better value
- Building up to 150 kg costs nothing: there is no paid storage at all
- While the shipment is being built you see the weight, volume and density collected so far
- If the volume builds up faster than the weight, we warn you before the shipment is closed
We have no paid storage at all, so the cargo from the first supplier sits at the warehouse while the rest of the shipment arrives. Building up to 150 kg does not add a warehouse line to the quote, which means the wait affects only the lead time, not the cost.
How to synchronise suppliers with different readiness dates
Synchronisation is built not on a common dispatch day but on the shipment closing date. You name the date on which the shipment is assembled, and suppliers ship at any point before it.
For each supplier we record the contents, the number of places and the dispatch date.
This is the date after which the shipment leaves with whatever has been collected.
Every consignment goes through piece count, SKU verification and photo report.
You see who has arrived, along with the weight and volume of the part collected.
We repack, palletise, mark the places and produce the packing list.
What happens if one supplier holds up the shipment
If there is a delay, you get a choice up to the closing date. By default the rule is: the part collected leaves, the late part is moved.
- Dispatch the part collected and move the remainder to the next shipment
- Move the closing date and wait for the supplier
- Drop the item from the shipment altogether
- Split the shipment into two dispatches, if the volume justifies it
One supplier dragging on for a week holds back everyone else's volume. That is why the shipment closing date is set before the first consignment, not at the moment of the delay.
How the cost is calculated with consolidation
The cost is calculated on the assembled shipment, not on the per-kilogram rate of an individual supplier. The quote covers warehouse operations and carriage of the shipment as a whole, and the total depends on the volume after restacking.
- Goods receipt and verification for every consignment
- Storage until the shipment closing date – free, there is no paid storage
- Collection of cargo from suppliers within China: as incurred by the carrier or a surcharge of $20–50
- Repacking and palletising, if they reduce the volume
- Freight on actual or volumetric weight, depending on density
- Clearance under the scheme selected: cargo or official import
Collection from a supplier within China is charged as incurred by the carrier or as a surcharge of $20–50 per consignment. No warehouse line appears in the quote for this: storage until the shipment closing date is free, and we have no paid storage at all.
A quote is valid for 7 days. The pricing logic is set out on the page how the cost is calculated, and a preliminary quote for your product range is produced by the calculator.
Payments to suppliers, if they go through us, are calculated separately for each invoice. The procedure is described on the page supplier payment.
Repacking, palletising and marking of places
Repacking is needed where the factory box carries air or will not take the load. We do it when it reduces the volume of the shipment or lowers the risk of damage during transhipments.
- Restacking: the goods are repacked to the pallet footprint
- Reinforcement: weak factory packaging is wrapped or replaced
- Palletising: places are assembled onto a pallet, stretch wrap, corner protection
- Separation: fragile and heavy goods are not put on the same pallet
| Operation | Price |
|---|---|
| Crated pallet | $30 per cubic metre |
| Bag and tape | $5 per place |
| Cardboard corner with a bag | $6 per place |
| Wooden crate for small boxes | $15–25 |
The quote includes only the operations your shipment actually needs: crating a pallet is charged by volume, while the bag, the corner and the crate for small boxes are charged by place. A quote is valid for 7 days, and the cost structure is set out on the page pricing.
Marking is brought to a single form, otherwise the point of consolidation is lost at goods receipt on your side. Every place carries your code, the place number out of the total and a description of the contents.
- Client code – the same on all places in the shipment
- Place number and the total number of places in the shipment
- Description of the goods or the item number from your list
- The supplier's mark, where goods receipt is done separately
- A fragility mark and the orientation of the place
If you need not only SKU verification but also measurements and tests, that is a separate operation on the page inspection of goods. Documents under official clearance are set out on the page official import.
FAQ
How many suppliers can be brought into one dispatch?
The limit is on the volume and weight of the shipment, not on the number of suppliers. The minimum dispatch weight is 50 kg, but it pays better to build a shipment from 150 kg: at 50 kg the price per kilogram is noticeably higher. Beyond that, the shipment takes as many consignments as you manage to collect before the closing date.
How does consolidation reduce the cost of delivery?
It removes repeated costs and reduces the volume of the shipment. Minimum chargeable weight, handling and paperwork are counted once per shipment, restacking the places lowers the volumetric weight, and weight from 150 kg is charged at the rate for a shipment. Storage while the shipment is being built is free, so waiting for it to fill up adds nothing to the cost.
What is volumetric weight and why am I paying for air?
Volumetric weight is weight taken from the dimensions of the place rather than on the scales. On road routes the calculation threshold is 100 kg/m³: a denser shipment is charged on actual weight, a lighter one on volumetric weight. On air express there is no threshold at all, a place is paid for on volumetric weight, and the coefficient is set by the carrier's rate card on the specific route.
What happens if one supplier delays its consignment by a week?
By default the part already collected leaves on schedule and the late item is moved to the next shipment. Instead of that, the closing date can be moved. We set the closing date before the first consignment so that the decision is not taken in a rush.
Do the goods have to be repacked, and can it be skipped?
Repacking is not compulsory; we do it where it reduces the volume or where the box will not take transhipments. Prices as at 20 August 2026: crated pallet – $30 per cubic metre, bag and tape – $5 per place, cardboard corner with a bag – $6 per place, wooden crate for small boxes – $15–25. The decision is taken from the measurements of the places at goods receipt, and the full list is on the page pricing.
Can I build the shipment with you but carry it with my own carrier?
Yes, consolidation works without changing carrier. We build the shipment at the warehouse in Guangzhou, and your carrier collects it on your route and at your rate. More detail on the page switching from your current provider.
How much does storage cost while I build a shipment from several suppliers?
Nothing: we have no paid storage at all, and the cargo sits at the warehouse in Guangzhou until the shipment closing date free of charge. So building up to 150 kg does not increase the cost of the supply, it affects only the dispatch date. Long-term accumulation for a specific task is discussed case by case.
Get a quote for a shipment from several suppliers
Send us the list of suppliers and items and we will quote the shipment on its actual volume.
Get a shipment quote→