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 Tehran West Customs. 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 96 CBM / 25 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 — the hub will not hand-stack a TIR trailer for a mixed LCL. 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 in the first line.
No published rates. To get a quote, send three things: the origin hub; the destination customs (Tehran West Customs / Aprin / Mashhad); 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. The domestic leg from the Yiwu or Shenzhen warehouse to Wuqia is typically within 7 days and 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. Delivery is to the Tehran West Customs bonded warehouse; the consignee's licensed broker clears the goods and arranges local delivery.
Can you pack at the hub?
Yes, at Yiwu and Shenzhen (Pinghu): 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.
What is the minimum for LCL?
One cubic metre (CBM) or 100 kg, at the Yiwu and Shenzhen (Pinghu) facilities, on the weekly Tuesday and Friday consolidation to Tehran Customs.
Related: LCL to Tehran Customs: three costly mistakes · Documents for China–Iran TIR road freight · Your first China–Iran shipment: the checklist · Request a freight quote · China to Iran TIR road freight