Container Devanning

How much does it cost to unload a shipping container?

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 01:05:57 GMT

Want to get a shipping container unloaded, but you aren't sure of the costs?

Why MoreStaff is the Smart Choice for Container Unloading in Christchurch & Auckland

At MoreStaff, we unload thousands of shipping containers each year across Christchurch and Auckland, handling all kinds of products on all types of sites.

What sets us apart is our unique business model: we supply our staff at fixed rates for clients.

How A Job Is Priced

There are some many variables that go into providing a fixed price to a customer (IE, type of product, equipment operation required, wrapping, staging, product weight, SKU count etc). The only way for us to provide this pricing is to come and see the job ourselves, and understand all of the individualised requirements needed by the client.

How It Works for Our Staff

Our model rewards efficiency. The faster and harder our staff work, the more they can earn per hour—always above the standard hourly rate. This encourages motivation, pride in their work, and consistent high performance on every job.

How It Works for Our Clients

For our clients, a fixed rate means no surprises. You won’t get hit with the hidden costs often associated with hourly charge-ups. The fixed pricing mitigates variable cost risks, giving you certainty in budgeting while receiving reliable, efficient service every time.

The MoreStaff Advantage

Efficient, motivated staff who go the extra mile.
Transparent, predictable pricing that helps control costs.
Experience across all industries—no matter the type of container or product.

At MoreStaff, we believe a win-win model is the best model. Our staff earn more, our clients save more, and containers get unloaded faster and safer.

Want to experience the MoreStaff difference on your next shipment? Get in touch and our team will shout a coffee, and give you some pricing / further information about us.

Auckland Container Unloading Service

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 21:18:54 GMT

Auckland Container Unloading Service

If you run a business in Auckland that deals with imports, chances are you’ve typed something like “container devanning Auckland” or “container unloading service Auckland” into Google at least once. And if you haven’t yet—don’t worry, you will. Because in a city buzzing with freight, shipping, and logistics, finding the right container devanning service in Auckland is almost as essential as finding good coffee on Queen Street.

What is Container Devanning (and Why Should You Care)?

“Devanning” is the logistics industry’s fancy way of saying unloading a container. Sounds simple, right? But when you’re staring down a 20- or 40-foot shipping container packed to the brim, you quickly realise it’s more than just opening a door and pulling out boxes. A proper container unloading service in Auckland means speed, safety, compliance with MPI biosecurity checks, and—most importantly—keeping your products intact.

Why Auckland Loves Container Devanning Services

Here’s what local businesses keep searching for:

“Container unpacking Auckland” – because time is money, and nobody wants staff standing around with box cutters.

“Devanning crew Auckland” – trained teams that can handle containers quickly and safely.

“MPI container devanning Auckland” – avoiding compliance headaches at the border.

“Cost of container devanning Auckland” – yes, price matters, but so does avoiding damages and delays.

Benefits for Auckland Importers

Whether you’re in East Tamaki, Onehunga, or out near the Port of Auckland, having a reliable container devanning company saves headaches. The right crew will:

Unpack your container efficiently.
Re-stack or palletise goods for easy warehousing.
Handle heavy or awkward products with forklifts when needed.
Keep everything compliant with health and safety regulations.

Choosing the Right Team

Not all container unloading teams in Auckland are created equal. Look for experience, flexibility, and a strong safety record. After all, a late or damaged shipment costs a lot more than the price of the service.

Bottom line: If you’re still Googling “container devanning services in Auckland”, stop searching and start unloading. A trusted devanning partner keeps your supply chain moving—and your customers happy.

Our Auckland team has experience handling mixed SKUs, difficult stacking patterns and high value goods. We currently service customers importing furniture, high value goods, FMCG warehousing, food ingredient suppliers, small specialty supermarkets and many more.

Our team also supply staff to Christchurch, so if you are looking for some labour assistance in the South Island give us a call, or send us an email.

Our services include: Container devanning labour, forklift operators, MPI AP and general warehousing staff.

ToolBox Meeting - 8 August 2025

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 23:07:57 GMT

Trip Hazards

Toolbox Meeting – Devanning Safety: Trip Hazards

Check container floors and work areas for debris, loose wrap, or uneven surfaces before starting.
Hazards: packaging straps, pallets, cables, broken pallets, plastic wrap and clutter.
Controls: keep walkways clear, dispose of waste immediately, and use proper storage for tools.
Stay alert of your surroundings, and keep the work area clean.
Report any trip hazards or damaged flooring immediately; follow site safety procedures.

Thanks team - wishing you all a fantastic Friday

MoreStaff Management

Speeding Up Your Devanning Systems

admin@morestaff.nz (More Staff) — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 23:04:42 GMT

Blog Post: 24.02.2025

How to Speed Up Container Devanning Systems: Boost Efficiency and Reduce Costs

In today’s fast-paced supply chain environment, speed and efficiency are essential for staying competitive. One area where businesses can drastically improve is their container devanning process. Container devanning – the act of unloading containers full of goods – is a critical part of logistics, and delays can have a domino effect, slowing down the entire supply chain and causing bottlenecks.

So how can you speed up your container devanning system without compromising safety or quality?

Here are a few key strategies to consider.

1. Use the Right Equipment

Investing in the right equipment can make a significant difference in how quickly containers are unloaded. For example:

Forklifts and pallet jacks: These are essential tools for moving large or heavy items quickly. Using the right type of forklift for the job can reduce unloading time, as it allows workers to move multiple pallets at once.
Conveyor belts: Automated conveyor systems are an excellent choice for moving items out of containers quickly, particularly if the items are smaller and need to be sorted once unloaded.
Stretch wrapping machines: If products are stacked on pallets, using stretch wrapping machines can help speed up the process of securing and preparing goods for the next stage in the supply chain.

Regular maintenance and inspection of your equipment will prevent unnecessary breakdowns and delays.

2. Train Your Workforce for Speed and Safety

While having the right equipment is important, the speed of your container devanning also depends on how skilled your team is at using it. Proper training is essential not only for efficiency but also for safety.

Forklift operation: Ensure your forklift drivers are well-trained in both operation and safety protocols. Skilled drivers can maneuver through the container faster, reducing bottlenecks.
Team coordination: Train workers to work in teams to unload containers efficiently. When workers communicate and cooperate, they can move faster without missing a beat.
Handling delicate goods: For containers with fragile items, workers should know how to handle and place goods to avoid delays due to accidents or damage.

Training your team regularly ensures they understand how to maximise the tools at their disposal and work together seamlessly.

3. Improve Container Loading Organisation

The way a container is loaded can directly impact how efficiently it’s unloaded. A poorly loaded container, with items packed in a random or disorganized manner, will inevitably take longer to empty.

Pre-loading guidelines: Encourage suppliers or shipping partners to load containers in an organized way, with heavier items at the bottom and lighter ones on top. This allows for a more systematic approach to unloading.
Prioritize items: When possible, make sure the most urgently needed items are at the front of the container or near the doors, reducing the time it takes to access critical stock.

Well-organised containers can be unloaded in a fraction of the time it takes to unload a jumbled mess.

4. Utilize Technology for Real-Time Monitoring

Advancements in technology can significantly enhance your devanning process. Real-time tracking software allows supervisors to monitor progress and adjust resources as needed. Here’s how it can help:

Progress tracking: Supervisors can check on how quickly containers are being unloaded and determine whether additional resources are needed.
Mobile apps: With mobile apps, workers can receive and update tasks in real-time, ensuring that everything is running smoothly.
Data collection: Technology can also help collect data on the efficiency of devanning. This data can be used to improve processes over time.

By integrating technology, you can streamline operations and make informed decisions that speed up unloading times.

5. Pre-schedule Shifts and Labour

Effective planning can go a long way in ensuring that containers are unloaded quickly. Pre-scheduling shifts and labour based on peak demand periods helps ensure that there are always enough workers available without unnecessary overstaffing.

Peak hours: If you know that certain times of the day are busier than others, schedule more workers during those peak hours.
Flexible labour: Have a flexible workforce that can quickly scale up or down depending on container volume.

Pre-scheduling ensures that you’re always prepared, and that workers are ready to unload as soon as the container arrives.

6. Focus on Safety

While speeding up container devanning is important, safety should always be a priority. Accidents and injuries can cause significant delays, so it’s essential to have safety protocols in place to prevent these issues.

PPE (Personal Protective Equipment): Make sure all workers are equipped with the necessary PPE, including gloves, steel-toed boots, and safety vests.
Clear signage: Ensure that the unloading area is clearly marked to prevent accidents and allow workers to move around safely.
Accident prevention: Implement regular safety drills to ensure workers know how to handle potential accidents.

By keeping the focus on safety, you reduce the likelihood of delays caused by injuries or accidents, and your team can work faster without fear of harm.

7. Track and Analyze Performance

Finally, regularly tracking and analyzing the performance of your devanning system is essential for continuous improvement.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Monitor KPIs like unloading time per container, the number of containers unloaded per day, and worker efficiency. These metrics can help you identify areas of improvement.
Feedback loops: Encourage feedback from your workers, as they often have the best insight into areas that can be improved.

Performance analysis gives you the information you need to make data-driven decisions and continuously refine your processes.

Conclusion

Speeding up your container devanning system is about more than just quick labour. It’s about the right combination of equipment, skilled workers, well-organized containers, and smart strategies. By adopting these tips, you can improve efficiency, reduce delays, and ultimately provide better service to your clients while reducing costs.

With the right tools, team, and planning in place, your container devanning operations can run faster, smoother, and more efficiently than ever before.

How to hire container devanners in Auckland

admin@morestaff.nz (More Staff) — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 21:06:53 GMT

How to successfully hire devanners in Auckland

If you are looking to hire container devanning crews, then this article may help:

Things to Consider:

Before you start looking for devanning crews to assist your workplace, we would suggest considering the following:

Do you need the devanning agency to supply a forklift operator.
Do you need an MPI AP supplied, or will you supply this yourself.
Where would you like all the completed pallets staged.
Are the pallets needing to be fully wrapped.
When you book, how quickly do you need staff supplied - 24hr, 48hr etc.
How much of the devanning operation are you willing to outsource - will the devanners need to work autonomously, or will they be supervised.
Is your site undercover, or will the weather impact your devanning operation.

Once you know what would best work both operationally, and financially for your business then we suggest reaching out to devanning companies/labour hire businesses (like MoreStaff).

Step-By-Step Process:

Many businesses are different in their approach to new work, but this is how we do things at MoreStaff.

You will receive an initial on-site consultation for free. This is where one of our local Branch Managers will meet you, and assess your individual site needs.
We will then provide a quote for the job based on what is required.
If the quote is accepted, then we will agree on terms of trade.
Once everything is agreed, we can start supplying devanners.
We can usually have devanners on-site within 24-48hours of the consultation.

If you are interested in learning more about how quickly a job should take our team, read here:

How long does it take to unload a shipping container?

Auckland Devanners - The crew is smashing it

admin@morestaff.nz (More Staff) — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 23:03:47 GMT

Auckland Crew - Lunch shout

This week our Auckland crew received some well deserved pizzas for lunch. After weeks of great work, our client kindly shouted the crew some lunch to say thank you. The feedback we have received since taking over their devanning operations is that we are the best devanning crews they have ever used.

Good job team, keep it up!

Cheers,

MoreStaff Management

What makes a good container devanner?

admin@morestaff.nz (More Staff) — Fri, 31 May 2024 00:25:01 GMT

Ever wondered what attributes we look for when hiring devanners?

Container devanning - the process of unloading a shipping container.

To be considered a good container devanner, many variables play into it.
- For example, some sites require us to fully wrap the pallets by hand, while others use a wrapping machine. Some sites have multiple SKUs inside the container which need sorting, others only import 1 line of product per container.

Over the last 11 years, our team has noticed the following fundamentals which make great container devanners.

Health and safety . First and foremost despite all else, good container devanners have careful consideration for their wellbeing, and the wellbeing of those around them. They do not cut corners to simply save time, and adhere to all site, and MoreStaff H&S policies and procedures.
Attention to detail . Nothing is worse than finishing a job, and finding out you mixed dates. Only having to restack all the pallets you just spent hours completing in the first place. Having attention to detail to seperate mixed units, SKUs and meet the site specific devan requirements is very important.
Strong time management . If we are unloading 120 pallets worth of product in 1 day, then if we take an extra 2 minutes per pallet, that's 4hours longer the job will take to complete. Great devanners are always moving, ensuring the next task is ready to go, or being completed to mitigate any down time.
Good team culture . Devanning is a team operation, both parties must work together and equally contribute to get the task done. Having a great attitude not only makes the work more enjoyable, but it also helps produce a higher quality of work.
Follow instructions . Every site, and every client we work for has different requirements, and slightly different ways they want the job completed to fit within their operation. It is important that devanners take instruction well, and carefully follow the guidelines set by the site to ensure we meet their demands.

Thanks for reading,

MoreStaff team

To learn more about container devanning in Auckland read our previous blog post here

Alternatively, if you want to find out if container devanning keeps you fit? Read here

Container Devanning in Auckland

admin@morestaff.nz (More Staff) — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 02:39:18 GMT

Container Devanning in Auckland - How the Auckland branch is going!

So how is our Auckland branch going you may ask?

Does container devanning keep you fit?

admin@morestaff.nz (More Staff) — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 00:39:54 GMT

Container devanning - does it keep you fit?

Container devanning, which involves unloading cargo from shipping containers, can indeed provide physical activity and contribute to fitness in several ways:

Manual Labour: Container devanning often involves manual lifting, carrying, and moving of heavy objects. This can provide a workout for muscles throughout the body, including the arms, shoulders, back, and legs.
Cardiovascular Exercise: The physical nature of container devanning, such as walking, lifting, and constant movement, can elevate heart rate and provide cardiovascular benefits similar to aerobic exercise.
Strength Training: Lifting and moving cargo can help build strength and endurance, particularly in the muscles used for lifting and carrying.
Flexibility and Range of Motion: Container devanning may require bending, stretching, and reaching, which can improve flexibility and range of motion.
Calorie Burning: The physical exertion involved in container devanning can lead to the burning of calories, potentially aiding in weight management and overall fitness.

It is important that staff use correct lifting technique and take adequate breaks throughout the day when container devanning to decrease the risk of injury. Staff are also encouraged to eat enough and drink enough fluids to remain hydrated and well fuelled to ensure they can complete labour intensive tasks.

How long does it take to unload a shipping container?

admin@morestaff.nz (More Staff) — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 01:20:47 GMT

Container Devanning - How long does it take?

Like any job, there are a wide range of variables that goes into container devanning. Some of the key time influences are:

How large is the container? Is it a 20ft, or 40ft container?
How many units are inside the container?
How many different lines are inside the container?
How quick is the forklift operator at removing the completed pallet?
Do the pallets need to be fully wrapped?
What is the stacking pattern? Is it simple or complicated?

These are just a few things that impact the container devanning process.

Our standard container devanning teams in Auckland and Christchurch can unload a 1500 unit 20ft container in 1.5 - 2 hours, and a 2500 unit 40ft in 3 - 4hr.

All going well, some of our faster teams can complete a 1500 unit, single line container in just over 1 hour.

We consistently find we are able to complete a job twice as fast as the site would complete it themselves in-house. This is because our staff are specialised in devanning, and do it everyday. They have extensive experience in unloading, loading containers and freight handling.

Therefore although the cost of outsourcing the container unload or load is more expensive from a fixed price perspective upfront compared to doing it in-house, it will save our clients time and resources by getting the job done significantly faster. Plus our clients have peace of mind that they don't need to do labouring work themselves, focusing their time on what they specialise in.

If you'd like to know more benefits of outsourcing container devanning, read our previous blog here:

https://www.containerdevanning.co.nz/benefits-of-outsourcing-container-devanning-operations

Benefits of outsourcing container devanning operations

admin@morestaff.nz (More Staff) — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 22:14:08 GMT

Why should you outsource your devanning operations?

Employing a company who specialises in a certain task is proven to speed up efficiency within an operation and provide many benefits.

Many customers decide to use us, MoreStaff as their primary labour supplying for all container unloading and loading at their sites. Some key benefits of doing so include:

Less stress on HR
Reduced administrative resources required to support this (IE, Payroll, hiring and recruiting, PPE).
Reduced risk of staff burnout
Reduced health and safety risk by hiring staff who specialise in labour
Flexible labour supply, reducing a company's fixed costs
Fixed cost pricing model, reducing financial risk

The main reason we can provide these benefits to our clients are because our staff are trained, and specialised in container unloading & loading. We can often do it faster, and for a fixed rate which decreases financial risk for our clients. This fixed rate is often passed onto the end customer, so works in well with our clients pricing model.

We also have experience handling a large range of product, from bags to boxes to steel beams. This allows our clients to take on new job, which might be unfamiliar territory for them otherwise. They can have the reassurance that our team know how to get the job done.

By utilising an external service, our clients can also increase their flexibility during influx periods, which occur often when ships are delayed or when detention charge timelines approach, and there is a pressure to get the containers completed, turned around and back to the port.

If your business is looking at utilising a container devanning service, send us an email: admin@morestaff.nz , we'd love to have a chat. Even if for whatever reason we cannot help, we should be able to point you in the right direction.

Read more about how our container devanning services work here:

https://www.containerdevanning.co.nz/how-our-container-devanning-services-work

What is the most important piece of equipment for container devanners

admin@morestaff.nz (More Staff) — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 03:04:50 GMT

What is the most important piece of equipment for container devanners?

If you have been container devanning for 1 week, or 10 years, I think we can all agree that there is one piece of equipment that is exceptionally important...

The forklift.

Unfortunately no matter how many wheetbix we eat before work, no one has come close to having the strength of the forklift. Jokes aside, it is a critical piece of machinery to use for the container devanning, or container loading process.

Being able to easily move pallets around a yard, and in and out of the container speeds up the operation significantly. Whenever we are forced to carry out product manually or use a pallet jack, the job gets slowed down significantly, and over the course of a container this can add multiple hours to the job. Not to mention it also makes it a lot more labour intensive, which is something we always want to avoid to protect our staff from a health and safety, and work place satisfaction point of view.

Forklifts are great, but before anyone jumps on the forklift, they must have a current OSH certificate and F endorsement printed on their license (if the site is open to a public road). At MoreStaff we also make sure our newly ticketed drivers are under supervision at all times, or they have proved they can safety drive one before doing this autonomously.

Kicking off 2024 - thank you to our staff

admin@morestaff.nz (More Staff) — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 21:38:33 GMT

Welcome 2024!

Our team did an amazing job this week helping service the urgent demand over the short week following New Years!

Over the 3 days; Wednesday, Thursday and Friday our team unloaded 26 containers and provided hundreds of hours of labour to sites across Christchurch.

A lot of work was delayed over Christmas, which increased the stress on our clients. With detention charges lingering, most of this work completed was on an urgent basis. With lots of people away on holiday, a few of our team who stayed in Christchurch stepped up and made it happen for our clients. This meant we were able to fill 100% of bookings and requests from our clients.

Thank you to our team for your efforts.

Good job,

MoreStaff Management

How our container devanning services work

admin@morestaff.nz (More Staff) — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 21:31:00 GMT

Have you ever wondered how our container devanning services work?

Follow our step by step process of how we provide our service.

1) Inquiry received.

Simply reach out to us via phone call, email or website booking. Tell us about your job, what you need and any specifics on how your site operates.

2) Terms of business agreed & signed

We will send your our terms of business, which includes rates, and our specific terms. We will need this signed and scanned back before we can book staff.

3) Team booked

Once your job is ready to go, MoreStaff management will book and organise a team for you. We ensure the staff have all the information they need, and will be there on time ready to go.

4) Site specific induction provided

When our staff arrive on-site, we request they receive a site specific induction, in conjunction with the generic MoreStaff health and safety induction all staff receive when they are employed by MoreStaff.

5) Job complete

When the job is complete, the site will send us the completed container number for invoicing, or if the work is completed on an hourly basis, then the site will scan back the MoreStaff timesheet for staffing hours.

6) Invoicing

The MoreStaff accounts team normally invoice the following week after the job is complete. All jobs are itemised, dated and clearly listed to ensure there is no confusion. If our client requires any specific account requests, this is no issue - simply let us know beforehand.

7) Book again

We hope to build long term relationships, all our clients come back to us again.

If you'd like to learn more about what we provide within our container devanning service, read more on our previous blog post here: https://www.containerdevanning.co.nz/container-devanning-in-christchurch

Container Devanning in Christchurch

admin@morestaff.nz (More Staff) — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 20:22:47 GMT

What is container devanning?

So... what does 'container devanning' really mean?

Devanning is the process or action of removing various cargo from a sealed container, also known as unloading the container. According to Transport.govt.nz, New Zealand is responsible for importing just shy of 200,000 TEU in 2022 across the country. Most of which will be devanned, ready for domestic consumption.

The devanning process can include unloading palletised or slip sheeted product, or hand unloading the product. Here at MoreStaff, we can do all 3.

Majority of the time the hand unloaded product is placed onto pallets, wrapped and then put into the warehouse storage, or if the client is operating a JIT inventory system, then it often goes out the same day.

When people hear about devanning, they often don't understand the biosecurity risk associated with importing various product into New Zealand. That is why when unloading any container across New Zealand there must be an MPI AP (accredited personal) present to inspect the container, act if there is a biosecurity risk, and correctly log the container log sheet for MPI records. The site must also have a current TFO (Transitional Facility Operator) who is responsible for the overall MPI requirements of their TF (Transitional facility). More on MPI requirements in our next blog post!

If you want to chat devanning - give us a call.