Until Coil-Tainer, the shipment of large and heavy steel coils has been somewhat problematic. For the large, heavy coils, the only method of shipment was via conventional ships (break-bulk). The problems encountered by the shipper here is infrequent and unreliable sailing schedules, longer transit times, damage due to excessive and poor handling, damage due to the elements, and limited ports of call for conventional ships. For the coils that can legally be loaded in containers, the shipper incurs additional costs for the excessive blocking and bracing needed to secure the coil in the container, and charge backs for damage to the container during shipment. There is also the difficulties and time factor for loading and unloading the coils at the port of call, wasting valuable time for the customer and the shipper, and excessive handling of the coil product.

Unfortunately, until today this was the only method available to shippers of steel coils. But, with Coil-Tainer's revolutionary concept it is making the shipping of steel coils by standard container (up to the maximum rated weight of the container), possible. With the ability to safely handle a coil up to 20 metric tons, with various coil weight combinations to maximize the load barring weight of the container. It eliminates all of the excessive costs, inefficiencies, and time loss of the current method of shipping steel coil, and will become the most economical, efficient, safe, damage free, reliable method for the shipment of steel coils around the globe. The idea was born at a round table meeting in November 1997 in Antwerp, Belgium. Present at this meeting were steamship lines, stevedores, steel companies, loading system specialists and pallet designers. What was developed and perfected from these early meetings was a specially designed portable system to load and unload coils in containers, on a specially designed patented pallet, that completely protects the coil and the structural integrity of the container.

This revolutionary system for the containerized shipment of steel coils eliminates the excessive handling damage; eliminates all blocking and bracing; eliminates damage due to the elements; allows a reduction of expensive packaging and pallets (environmental issues); reduces insurance claims and premiums; insures frequent and reliable sailing schedules via regularly scheduled container ship sailing's; reduces transit times; enables the ability to call on many more ports offering container handling; reduces inventory, inventory carrying costs and warehousing costs by shipping to your customers what they need, when they need it, where they need it - JIT; increases cash flow; and improves customer service and responsiveness. Coil-Tainer has been transporting steel coils up to 24 tons across the Atlantic, and has met with extraordinary success. On all shipments between the ports of Antwerp, Belgium and Chester, Pennsylvania there has been absolutely "no" damage to the coils or the containers. Loading and unloading of a 20' container takes approximately 20 minutes. Coil-Tainer Limited was born! A full service shipping service, dedicated to the movement of steel coil, which focuses on giving outstanding customer service and responsiveness. It is being headed by Michael J. Smolenski, and began operations March 1998 with dedicated customers concentrating on the North Atlantic Trade Lane, but will move into additional trade lanes as demand requires, covering the globe.

"The Future for the Shipment of Steel Coil
Around the Globe"