PACK
How to pack cargo for a China–Iran TIR curtainsider
Pack for a TIR-sealed curtainsider, not a 40-foot sea box. The trailer is sealed at Wuqia or Khorgos and stays sealed across Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan until the destination — Tehran West Customs on a CPT / DAP booking, or the Sarakhs terminal on a terminal-to-terminal booking. If the crate cannot take a forklift, the marks do not match the packing list, or lithium is undeclared, the load waits at the origin hub — not at the Iranian border.
- Curtainsider / tautliner, TIR lock + electronic seal; not a maritime container
- Pallets or skids that a forklift can pick; corner boards and straps on cartons
- Shipping marks on every crate must match the packing list line for line
- Undeclared lithium, leaking drums, or unmarked mixed cargo is refused at the hub
The trailer, not a container
The line-haul unit is a curtainsider with a TIR lock and an electronic seal. There is no container number. Cube and payload are quoted against a 80 CBM / 22 t truck, not a 40HQ. Cartons that survive a vessel do not automatically survive a forklift at Bukhara: a direct truck transloads once there; a cheaper transshipment truck transloads at Osh and again at Bukhara.
Origin hub → export clearance and sealing at Wuqia (TIR lock + electronic seal) → Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan under a single TIR carnet → entry into Iran at Sarakhs → the Tehran West Customs bonded warehouse, where a warehouse entry receipt (Ghabz-e Anbar) is issued to your broker. A direct truck transloads once, at Bukhara; a transshipment truck transloads at Osh and again at Bukhara, which costs less and takes longer. A TIR carnet keeps unsealings and transloads to a minimum — it does not remove them, and it changes neither the transit time nor the rate. On this line Kyrgyzstan levies 0.4% of the cargo-invoice value as a transit tax: a tax, not freight, excluded from the quotation and paid by the customer. The Khorgos line runs through Kazakhstan instead, never carries the 0.4%, and its transit time is quoted on request. Turgart and Alashankou are not operated.
What the yard will refuse
Cartons with no pallet or skid — we will not hand-stack a TIR FTL trailer. Soft bales need wrapping and a base; drums need pallets and overpacks. Marks (consignee, destination customs, piece count, gross/net) must be on two sides of every crate and identical to the packing list. Lithium cells or power banks mixed into “general cargo” are stopped at receiving; declare UN 3480 / 3481 with a 16-section MSDS and UN packaging documents in the first line — declared lithium batteries are accepted once the formal quote confirms the shipment.
No published rates. To get a quote, send three things: the origin hub; the destination (Tehran West Customs on CPT / DAP, Aprin or Mashhad if the quote confirms it, or a destination terminal such as Sarakhs); and the cargo data — HS code, gross weight in kg, volume in CBM.
FAQ
How long does it take from the Wuqia crossing to Tehran Customs?
Counted from the Wuqia border crossing: a direct truck currently takes 21 to 23 calendar days to the Tehran West Customs bonded warehouse and a transshipment truck 26 to 30 days; to Mashhad it is 18 to 21 days direct and 24 to 28 days with transshipment. A direct truck transloads once, at Bukhara; a transshipment truck transloads at Osh and again at Bukhara. Cargo is loaded in Xinjiang; any inland China run to the gateway is counted separately. Transit time on the Khorgos line is quoted on request. These are current operating ranges, not a guaranteed transit.
Do you deliver door-to-door?
No. Two delivery options are quoted: CPT / DAP to the Tehran West Customs bonded warehouse (Mashhad or Aprin only where the formal quote confirms it), or terminal-to-terminal to the Iran border terminal at Sarakhs. Either way the consignee's licensed broker clears the goods and arranges local delivery; we do not offer DDP.
Can you pack at the hub?
Yes, in Xinjiang: palletising, stretch-wrap, marks and a packing list. It is billed separately from freight. Send photos of the cargo as it sits at the factory before you book space.
Will the TIR seal be broken for a packing check?
Only if a transit customs demands it, which is uncommon on this carnet. The load is built so a Bukhara transload can be done with a forklift without restacking cartons. Do not plan on opening the trailer in Iran before the broker takes the Ghabz-e Anbar.
Do you take LCL / groupage?
No. Road freight is FTL only. Cargo is loaded in Xinjiang. We do not run Yiwu or Shenzhen LCL sailings.
Related: Documents for China–Iran TIR road freight · Your first China–Iran shipment: the checklist · Request a freight quote · China to Iran TIR road freight