Expert Tips for Shipping Drums in Air Freight: Overcoming Challenges and Ensuring Success

Shipping drums in air freight can be complex due to various factors, such as their size, contents, and screening challenges.

The contents of drums can vary widely, ranging from harmless substances to hazardous materials. Some items may be flammable, corrosive, or otherwise dangerous.  In most cases, however, the contents are usually very dense making them heavy for their relative size. 

Challenges to screen drums

The size, shape, density, and contents of drums all make the screening process of drums challenging, requiring specialized handling. 

• Air freight screening facilities typically utilize multiple methods to screen cargo and, in general, due to the size of drums and the density of material inside, the primary screening methods are frequently unable to be used or have a high likelihood of failing. 

• One challenge is that if a shipment fails screening, the freight is stored at the carrier's warehouse until the freight can be retrieved. This, as way as the other procedures required for rejected freight creates a bottleneck at the carrier's warehouse which are space limited. 

• Historically, this was not an issue as cargo moving on freighter aircraft (cargo-only) did not require screening so most drum shipments moved on these flights, but since mid-2021 all air cargo is required to be screened so these shipments have become more challenging.

Because of these challenges, many airlines do not accept cargo in drums unless it is pre-screened by an off-airport independent certified screening facility that has more time and space. 

Challenges of drums in flight

Furthermore, moving air freight packed in drums is also a challenge in flight.  As drums are so heavy but also narrow, they are at high risk of toppling over during flight.  

• The potential for the contents of drums to spill is a serious risk for airlines because drums often contain hazardous materials, liquids, or powders which can severely damage the aircraft or other cargo. 

Because of this, most airlines, require drums to be sandwich packed between a pallet and an upper piece of plywood and four-way banded.  This prevents the cargo from toppling over during flight.  It should be noted this packing typically needs to be done after the screening is complete.

How to ship drums in air freight

Considering the challenges, it is important to always work with an experienced team of air freight professionals to ensure the shipment moves smoothly. 

Here are a few recommendations to move cargo in drums: 

• Always inform the airline and other parties how the cargo is packed and the commodity

• If possible, pre-screen the shipment at a CCSF (certified cargo screening facility)

• If pre-screening is not possible, then confirm with the carrier prior to booking whether they can screen the drums.  Most carriers do not accept unscreened drums.
• Prepare the cargo for air freight transport by sandwiching it between a pallet and wood and securing it with four-way cross bands.

Note - it is possible the carrier will need to break down and rebuild the cargo so extra fees may apply.  

Conclusion

Shipping cargo packed in drums is one of the most difficult air freight shipments to complete successfully. Following the above recommendations and working with an experienced freight forwarder will drastically increase your chances of success. Our team at Pelicargo works closely with freight forwarding companies to support any questions and provide current market intelligence related to any shipment types.

Sources:

https://www.dhl.com/global-en/home/our-divisions/global-forwarding/forwarding-insights/ship-any-goods-commodity-guidance.html