Lashing
Lashing means securing cargo so it cannot shift under the accelerations of a sea voyage or a road journey. On container ships it uses lashing rods, turnbuckles and twistlocks; inside a container it uses straps, blocking, bracing and friction mats. The CTU Code tables give design accelerations such as 0.3 g longitudinal and 0.7 g transverse for sea area B, and 0.8 g forward on the road. Every device has an MSL (maximum securing load); check that count and strength are sufficient against the current CTU Code edition.
Related terms
- Twistlock
A twistlock is a locking device inserted into a container's corner casting and turned so the box locks onto the one below, onto the ship's deck or onto a trailer chassis.
- Dunnage
Dunnage is material used to fill voids, block, separate and protect cargo, such as timber beams, boards, fibreboard sheets and inflatable dunnage bags.
- Centre of Gravity (CoG)
The centre of gravity is the point where the whole weight of a load can be considered to act.
- Stuffing
Stuffing is loading goods into a container, either at the shipper's premises for FCL or at a CFS for LCL.
- Metacentric Height (GM)
Metacentric height (GM) is the distance between a ship's centre of gravity (G) and its metacentre (M), calculated as KM minus KG.
Covered in these guides
Deck, Hatch Cover and Tank Top Strength: UDL, Point Loads and Load Spreading
How to read t/m² limits for decks, hatch covers and tank tops, why point loads differ from UDL, spreading loads with dunnage and steel beams, with worked examples.
5 min read Vessel stowageLCT Loading Guide: Bow Ramp, Heavy Equipment Order, Axle Loads and Beaching Trim
How to load a Landing Craft Tank (LCT) in Indonesia, from ramp limits, vehicle and heavy equipment order and deck axle loads to trim when beaching and lashing.
6 min read Vessel stowageMetacentric Height (GM) Explained: Calculation, Corrections and Limits
A deeper look at a ship's GM, from hydrostatic KM, loading KG and free surface correction to worked examples and the risks of too little or too much GM.
6 min read Vessel stowageContainer Ship Bay Planning: Pre-stow, POD Blocks and Stack Limits
How a planner builds a container ship bay plan, from pre-stow by POD, stack weights, hold vs deck, reefers, OOG and 45ft boxes to hatch covers.
6 min read Maritime professionalsCargo Lashing and Securing: CTU Code Principles, MSL and a Worked Example
How to secure cargo in containers and trucks with blocking, bracing, lashing and friction under CTU Code principles, with an acceleration table and a worked example.
6 min read Load calculations20ft vs 40ft vs 40HC Containers: Volume, Weight and Cost per m³
Compare 20GP, 40GP and 40HC containers on volume, payload, floor area, pallet count and cost per cubic metre, with practical rules for choosing the right size.
6 min read