Most buyers pick a packing format out of habit. It is worth ten minutes of thought, because it changes your freight cost, what equipment you need on the day, and how long the product keeps.
The three formats
| Format | Net weight | You need | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulk | By the tonne | A bin, shed or field bin, and a way to move it — auger, loader or tipping | Lowest cost per tonne, largest tonnages, product going on soon |
| Bulka bag (FIBC) | 500 kg or 1 tonne | A loader, telehandler or forklift — one bag, one lift | The broadacre default. No bulk storage needed, and each bag stays sealed until used |
| Bagged | 25 kg or 50 kg | Nothing but hands, or a pallet jack for palletised loads | Smaller quantities, mixed analyses, no handling gear |
What it does to your freight
Fertiliser is a dense cargo, so freight is charged on weight rather than space. That means the format itself barely changes the freight — but it changes how much product fits in a load, because packaging and pallets take up payload.
| Packing | Loading | Per 20ft container | Net weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 kg bags | Floor loaded | 1,000 bags | 25 MT |
| 25 kg bags | Palletised | 20 pallets | 20 MT |
| 1 t bulka bags | Floor loaded | 20 – 25 bags | 20 – 25 MT |
| Bulk | Container liner | — | 25 – 27 MT |
Palletising costs you about five tonnes of payload per container. It buys easier handling at the far end — sometimes worth it, often not.
Storage is the deciding factor more often than cost
Nitrogen and ammonium-based fertilisers are hygroscopic: they pull moisture out of the air and set hard. How long you can hold product before spreading depends almost entirely on how it is packed.
- Bulk in an open bay is the most exposed. Fine if it goes on within days, risky over weeks.
- Bulka bags stay closed until the moment you use them, which is why they suit buying ahead of the season.
- Bagged product with an inner liner is the most protected per unit, and the most practical if you are drawing small amounts over months.
If you are buying ahead, say so when you enquire. It changes what we recommend.
Before the truck arrives
- Access — can a B-double reach the unloading point, and is it all-weather?
- Unloading — loader, telehandler, forklift or tipping bay, or does the vehicle need to self-unload?
- Somewhere dry — off the ground, out of weather, before it lands
- Someone there — to check the delivery and the paperwork on arrival
Tell us these when you enquire rather than on the day. Access is the single most common reason a delivery costs more than the quote.
Tell us what you can unload with and how long you will store it. We will recommend the packing and quote it delivered.