How Container Shipping is Speeding Up Delivery of Homebuilding Materials

Construction is one of the primal forces that drives the world’s economy. And, as you can imagine, in construction times are almost as valuable as materials and the labor being used. Both builders and contractors are constantly bound by deadlines, and their jobs greatly revolve around delivering projects on schedule. Otherwise, hefty penalties are imminent.

In order to meet all these tight deadlines it’s usually the supply chain that plays a pivotal role. The transportation of building materials is what determines the project’s timeline. This is why container shipping is extremely popular in construction, as they’re an affordable and fast and reliable way of getting all the building materials.

In this article we’ll cover some of the main reasons why the container shipping industry is a colossal part of ensuring home construction stays on track.

Container Shipping Supports Construction Supply Chains

Before discussing how container shipping reduces lead times, it’s important to understand how container shipping supports home construction in the first place.

Most of the materials used in home building (e.g., flooring, insulation, walls, windows, doors, etc.) are often bought from many different locations around the world in order to get the best quality for the best price. These products travel on container ships, which is one of the best and most affordable ways to get these materials. Sometimes, it is the ONLY way to get them.

Container ships are there to provide a more efficient way to pack and transport bulk products across international waters. Once they arrive at ports, the goods are transported by trucks/trains to reach their destination.

For prefabricated building products or finishing materials, such as Andersen doors and windows, precast concrete panels, pre-finished flooring, this means products arrive in bulk and are delivered more consistently. This method also significantly reduces delays caused by traditional delivery methods.

This reliability ensures the interior/exterior finishing phase of construction doesn’t suffer, further bogging down following phases such as final inspections and system installations. The project stays on track, and everyone is happy!

How Shipping Shortens Construction Lead Times

Container shipping has a direct effect on the lead time of home construction projects.

Lead time is measured as the duration between the time materials are ordered and the time they arrive on site, and reducing this time has the effect of significantly enhancing project schedules and possibly reducing overall project cost.

Below we’ll mention 3 main ways how container shipping directly reduces these lead times:

1. Transportation + Delivery

Container ships, used for bulk transportation, enable faster and smoother delivery of materials used to build homes. Once the material arrives at the port, it’s swiftly transported to trucks/railroads which further accelerates delivery times.

2. Schedules

One of the core issues when it comes to the building industry is unpredictability. Luckily, there’s plenty of predictability in container shipping, because of its consistent/precise scheduling and reliable delivery times.

3. International Reach

The global coverage of container shipping makes it possible to pull material from nearly any place in the world. This benefits the contractors by giving them access to more products and more options.

How Effective Container Shipping Enables Specific Construction Requirements

In construction, some types of products in construction, such as windows and doors, require extra care and safe transportation means. Shipments in containers are a reliable way to ensure these specialized goods reach their destination on schedule and undamaged:

• Precise Handling for Delicate Materials – Shipping companies providing containers have come up with ways of protecting fragile materials during transportation. The materials are properly packaged so that they cannot be damaged, and upon arrival at the construction site, they are ready for installation.
• Less Risk of Damage – Compared to traditional shipping methods, container shipping minimizes the risk of material damage. Secure containers protect contents from the weather and minimize the risk of accidents or mismanagement.

Homebuilders’ Key Benefits

There are quite a few benefits of efficient container shipping to housebuilders:

• Cost Savings: Lower transportation costs can either be passed on to the consumer or they can be reinvested in other areas of the project, which helps make the whole process more affordable.
• Access to Better Products: Container shipping is giving an opportunity to choose from a wider range of products, because you can choose from any global manufacturer.
• Predictability: Regular and predictable shipping times reduce the uncertainty typically associated with construction timelines.

Conclusion

Container shipping is not only one of the best ways to deliver all the much needed materials required for construction projects in a reliable and fast way, but it’s actually improving homebuilding project management.

This is because construction is deadline-sensitive. And if those deadlines aren’t met, the builder may face severe penalties as a reproduction. And if you do not have the materials required to finish the project, missing a deadline is all but assured. Container shipping is known for its reliability to deliver these much-needed materials, which enables construction projects to plan ahead and stay on top of deadlines.

And as global shipping evolves, homebuilders will continue to enjoy even quicker and even more reliable deliveries for reduced cost and with more precise schedules.

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