Heavy-Duty Shrink Wrapping for Cargo — Brisbane and Darwin

Our team is frequently called upon to prepare all manner of cargo for transport by road, sea and air. Among their talents is heavy-duty shrink wrapping. Depth Logistics Pty Ltd heat shrink wraps machinery, modules and transportable buildings, project cargo and other oversized freight that is being shipped or stored long term, sealing it in heavy-duty film that is heated until it shrinks into a drum-tight protective skin. We wrap cargo at our Depth Defence Logistics Centres (2DLCs) in Brisbane and Darwin, or we mobilise to wherever the cargo is – a yard, a wharf, a base or a project site. And because the same team also lashes, washes, fumigates, packs and trucks cargo, we can prepare your cargo from start to finish: on time, on budget, safely and securely.

What is heavy-duty shrink wrapping?

Heavy-duty shrink wrapping covers cargo in a thick shrink film and then heats the film so it shrinks tight around the load. The result is a fitted, drum-tight skin that sheds rain, keeps out dust and dirt, and holds firm while the cargo is lifted, trucked and shipped. It is not the same as pallet wrap. Pallet wrap (stretch film) is a thin film wound around a pallet to hold cartons together. Heavy-duty shrink wrap is a much thicker film that is heat-shrunk over large or awkward cargo – a machine, a module or a whole piece of project cargo – to protect it from the weather and from contamination while it travels or sits in storage. We do both: our Brisbane 2DLC offers shrink wrapping with stretch film and heavy-duty heat shrink wrap. This page is about the heavy-duty heat shrink service.

Why shrink wrap cargo for shipment or long-term storage?

• Weather protection: a sealed skin keeps rain, salt spray and dust off cargo on an open deck, a wharf or in a laydown yard
• Long-term storage: cargo that has to sit outdoors stays covered and clean under UV-stabilised film
• Biosecurity: once cargo has been washed and inspected, shrink wrapping helps stop it being re-contaminated before it ships – see quarantine and biosecurity
• Transport: a tight wrap does not flap or tear like loose tarps when the cargo is moving on a truck or ship
• Security: if a load is tampered with or damaged, it is immediately evident
• Access and moisture control: we fit zip access doors so the cargo can be reached without unwrapping it, plus vents and dehumidifier (desiccant) bags to help manage moisture under the wrap

What cargo we shrink wrap

We shrink wrap all manner of cargo for transport by any mode – road, sea or air – or for long-term storage. Typical examples include:

• Machinery and industrial equipment: plant, generators, engines, and mining and industrial equipment
• Modules and transportable buildings: site offices, accommodation and other modular buildings shipped or stored as cargo
• Project cargo: oversized and out-of-gauge cargo, including vehicles and equipment lashed on flat racks
• Cargo on flat racks and in open-top containers, where the cargo is exposed to the weather

Not sure if your cargo can be shrink wrapped? Call us with the size and weight and we will tell you.

From flat rack to wharf: examples of our work

Here is how a typical job runs when we truck and wrap the cargo ourselves.

• Before – lashing and securing on a flat rack: our team lashes and secures the cargo on a flat rack so it is ready to lift, truck and ship.
• Trucking: our road freight fleet can transport the cargo as well – between our centres, to the wharf or wherever it needs to go – on one job we trucked the cargo from Darwin to Brisbane before wrapping it.
• Wrapping at our Brisbane warehouse: the cargo is sealed in heavy-duty shrink film and heat-shrunk into a tight skin.
• After – wrapped and delivered to the wharf: the wrapped cargo goes back on a Depth Logistics truck and is delivered to the wharf, ready for shipping.

How our shrink wrapping service works

1. Tell us about the cargo

Send us the cargo type, dimensions, where it is and where it is going – shipment by road, sea or air, or long-term storage. We will recommend whether to wrap at one of our 2DLCs or on your site.

2. Prepare the cargo

We lash and secure the cargo on a flat rack or trailer if needed. If it needs to be clean before it is wrapped – for example for a biosecurity inspection or before it is shipped overseas – we can wash it on our all-weather biosecurity washpads or with our SEA PREP washing module, which we can deploy anywhere, and fumigate it if needed.

3. Wrap and heat shrink

Our team covers the cargo in heavy-duty shrink film and heats it until it shrinks into a tight, sealed skin. The film is UV-stabilised. Where the job needs them, we fit zip access doors so the cargo can be reached without unwrapping it, plus vents and dehumidifier (desiccant) bags to help manage moisture under the wrap.

4. Truck, ship or store

Once wrapped, the cargo is ready to go. Our road transport fleet can truck it to the wharf, and our 2DLCs can pack it into containers or store it long term at our Brisbane and Darwin 2DLCs until it ships.

Mobile shrink wrapping – we come to your cargo

When your cargo cannot easily come to us, we mobilise to wherever it is – a yard, a wharf, a base or a project site – from our Brisbane and Darwin 2DLCs. Mobile shrink wrapping sits alongside our deployable SEA PREP service, which includes shrink wrapping of cargo alongside washing and inspection. Mobilisation costs are included in our quotation.

Shrink wrapping in Brisbane (Pinkenba)

Our Brisbane 2DLC is at 8 Culya St, Pinkenba QLD 4008. It offers:

• Shrink wrapping with stretch film and heavy-duty heat shrink wrap
• Container freight station (CFS) packing and unpacking, including shrink wrapping as a CFS option
• Biosecurity washing and cargo fumigation
• Long-term storage of wrapped cargo
• The base for our deployable SEA PREP team and mobile shrink wrapping

Call the Brisbane office on 07 3054 4670

Shrink wrapping in Darwin (East Arm)

Our Darwin 2DLC is at 31 Muramats Rd, East Arm NT 0822. It offers:

• Shrink wrapping, palletisation, packing and crating of cargo
• Container freight station (CFS) packing and unpacking, including shrink wrapping as a CFS option
• Biosecurity washing and cargo fumigation
• Long-term storage of wrapped cargo
• Mobile shrink wrapping – we mobilise to wherever the cargo is

Call the Darwin office on 08 8911 1216

Why use Depth Logistics for shrink wrapping

• One team prepares all manner of cargo for transport by all modes: lashing, washing, fumigation, shrink wrapping, packing, crating and trucking
• Wrap at our Brisbane or Darwin 2DLC, or we mobilise to wherever your cargo is
• Biosecurity know-how: we wrap cargo after washing and inspection to stop it being re-contaminated before it ships
• An in-house team that includes ADF veterans
• Defence Industry Security Program (DISP) member, with a security-cleared team
• Every job delivered on time, on budget, safely and securely

Need other cargo preparation?

If your cargo needs any other type of preparation, including washing, take a look at our SEA PREP service and module, which we can deploy anywhere. Our team would be pleased to discuss any cargo preparation needs – call us or request a quote.

Related services

• Depth Defence Logistics Centres (2DLCs) – our Brisbane and Darwin centres
• SEA PREP – our deployable cargo preparation team, including shrink wrapping of cargo
• Road transport – our road freight fleet can transport your cargo before and after it is wrapped, to the wharf or wherever it needs to go
• Quarantine and biosecurity – pre-shipment washing, treatment and shrink wrapping
• Biosecurity washing – all-weather DAFF washpads in Brisbane and Darwin
• Cargo and container fumigation – including BMSB treatment
• Container unloading and loading – container freight station services

Frequently asked questions