Packaging and Container Loading for Pet Furniture
A 40' HQ takes roughly 800-1,200 pcs knocked down, or 280-400 pcs assembled. Flat packing cuts shipping volume 55-65%, which on a full container is usually worth more than anything you could negotiate off the unit price — and unlike a price cut, it does not come out of the product.
Pet furniture is volumetric cargo: the container fills before it gets heavy, so you are paying for space. Everything below follows from that one fact.
Container capacity
| Container | Internal dimensions | Nominal volume | Realistic usable |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20' GP | 5.90 x 2.35 x 2.39 m | 33.2 CBM | ~28 CBM |
| 40' GP | 12.03 x 2.35 x 2.39 m | 67.7 CBM | ~58 CBM |
| 40' HQ | 12.03 x 2.35 x 2.69 m | 76.3 CBM | ~66 CBM |
Plan against the usable figure, not the nominal one. Cartons are rectangular and containers have doors, corner posts and a loading tolerance; 85-88% fill is what actually happens.
Ocean freight on pet furniture is charged on volume, not weight — the box fills up before it gets heavy. On a full container the flat-pack saving is usually larger than anything available on the ex-works price, and unlike a price cut it does not come out of the product.
| Container | Knock-down | Assembled |
|---|---|---|
| 20' GP | 300-450 pcs | 110-160 pcs |
| 40' GP | 650-900 pcs | 230-330 pcs |
| 40' HQ | 800-1,200 pcs | 280-400 pcs |
How to work out your own numbers
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Get the carton dimensions
From the specification on each product page, or from us at quotation stage. Use the packed carton, not the product — a 720 mm bed does not go in a 720 mm carton.
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Convert to CBM per carton
Length x width x height, all in metres. A 0.76 x 0.52 x 0.18 m carton is 0.0711 CBM.
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Divide by pieces per carton
If that carton holds 2 pieces, CBM per piece is 0.0356. Most of our knock-down designs pack 1-4 pcs depending on product size.
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Divide usable container volume by CBM per piece
66 CBM usable in a 40' HQ divided by 0.0356 gives about 1,850 pieces. That is a ceiling, not a plan — a real mixed order has awkward shapes and you should assume 10-15% less.
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Sanity-check against the freight quote
Take the all-in container cost, divide by the piece count, and add it to the FOB price. That is your real landed unit cost, and it is the only number worth comparing between suppliers.
Knock-down versus assembled
| Knock-down (flat pack) | Assembled | |
|---|---|---|
| Shipping volume | Baseline | 2.5-3x higher |
| Freight per unit | Lowest | +$1.10-1.60 typical |
| Transit damage risk | Low — flat parts protect each other | Higher — projecting parts take the impact |
| Warehouse handling | Easy, stackable, palletises well | Awkward, poor cube utilisation |
| Customer experience | Requires assembly — needs a good manual | Ready to use out of the box |
| Retail channel fit | Required by most retail and e-commerce | Showroom, hospitality, small items |
| Assembly cost | Hardware bag, manual, cam locks | Factory labour, in the unit price |
Ship knock-down unless there is a specific reason not to. The exceptions worth making are small items where assembly saves no volume, and decorative pieces where a 30-screw assembly would be the customer's first experience of your brand. For everything else the freight saving is the largest single cost lever available after quantity.
Packaging specification
| Carton | 5-layer AB-flute corrugated export carton, with 3-ply inner partitions on glass or mirror parts |
|---|---|
| Default format | KD (knock-down flat pack) — Default for export. Cuts shipping volume by 55-65% and is required by most retail channels. |
| Alternative | Assembled — For small items, or where the buyer needs a display-ready unit. |
| Pieces per carton | 1-4 pcs depending on product size |
| Drop test | ISTA 1A, 6-face drop from 76 cm on the packed carton |
| Hardware | Labelled fitting bag inside each carton, counted against the BOM on 100% of units |
Branding and retail options
- Silk-screen or laser-engraved logo on the wood
- Woven or printed label on the cushion
- Metal or wooden nameplate
- Custom-printed retail carton (colour box) - MOQ 300 pcs
- Hang tag, care card and multilingual assembly manual
- FNSKU / EAN / UPC barcode labelling for Amazon FBA
Costs for each are itemised on the private label page.
Packaging and shipping questions
How many pet beds fit in a 40' HQ container?
Knocked down, roughly 800-1,200 pcs for mid-size designs. Assembled, 280-400 pcs. The spread is wide because a hamper and a playpen differ by a factor of four in packed volume — use the CBM calculation below rather than the range if you are planning a specific order.
How do I calculate CBM per unit?
Carton length x width x height in metres gives CBM per carton. Divide by the number of pieces in the carton for CBM per piece. Then divide the container's usable volume — about 28 CBM for a 20' GP, 58 for a 40' GP, 66 for a 40' HQ — by CBM per piece. Use usable volume, not nominal: you never load a container to 100%, and 85-88% is a realistic planning figure.
What is the real saving from knock-down packing?
Shipping volume falls 55-65% on most designs. On a $3,000 container that is the equivalent of taking roughly $1.10-1.60 off every unit — usually more than you would win by negotiating the ex-works price, and it does not come out of the product specification.
When should I ship assembled instead?
Small items where assembly adds no volume, products going to a retail floor that cannot assemble, and anything where the assembly experience would damage the brand — a carved decorative piece with 30 screws is not something a customer should be doing at home. Otherwise ship knock-down.
What carton do you use?
5-layer AB-flute corrugated export carton, with 3-ply inner partitions on glass or mirror parts. Cartons are drop-tested to ISTA 1A, 6-face drop from 76 cm on the packed carton.
Can you do retail-ready or Amazon FBA packaging?
Yes. Silk-screen or laser-engraved logo on the wood; Woven or printed label on the cushion; Metal or wooden nameplate; Custom-printed retail carton (colour box) - MOQ 300 pcs; Hang tag, care card and multilingual assembly manual; FNSKU / EAN / UPC barcode labelling for Amazon FBA. FNSKU labels are applied and scan-verified at OQC before the carton is sealed.
Why is ocean freight charged on volume rather than weight?
Because the container fills up before it hits the weight limit. Pet furniture is bulky and light, so it is 'volumetric' cargo — you pay for the space. This is the opposite of dense goods like hardware or tiles, and it is why design decisions that reduce packed volume are worth more here than in most product categories.
Who arranges the shipping?
Quotations are EXW Foshan or FOB Guangzhou or FOB Shenzhen by default, so your forwarder books the vessel. CIF and DDP are available if you would rather we arrange it. Loading photographs, packing list, commercial invoice, B/L and certificate of origin are issued either way.
Where to go next
CatFurnitureHome production team — Tira Chan, Export Sales Manager, with the workshop supervisors in Lecong Town, Shunde District, Foshan. Last reviewed 2026-09-03. Figures on this page are indicative for standard specifications; confirmed values are issued with your quotation.
Want a loading plan for your order?
Send the designs and quantities you are considering. We return the carton dimensions, CBM per piece, how it loads into your chosen container, and where the mix could be adjusted to fill it more efficiently.